The Met Office issued a London weather thunderstorm warning at 5.24pm on Monday, June 22, with parts of the South West, London, East of England and South East England covered until 9pm. The alert covered thunderstorms with frequent lightning, heavy rain, gusty winds and hail.
Met Office warning at 5.24pm
Forecasters said an area of thunderstorms moving east across the area would bring frequent lightning, gusty winds, torrential rain and, in a few places, hail. The warning included Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon and Wiltshire.
The Met Office said driving conditions were likely to be affected by spray, standing water or hail, with delay to train services also possible. It added that some short term loss of power may occur and that flooding to homes and businesses may also be a risk.
Bristol lightning on Monday
Lightning strikes had already been captured on camera in Bristol on Monday evening, before the warning expired at 9pm. The Met Office said a few places could see 20-25 mm of rainfall in a short period in the most active storms.
The short burst of rainfall sat alongside another limit on the threat: the storms were moving quickly, which reduced the potential for widespread large amounts of rain. That left the main concern on localised impacts from lightning, hail and wind rather than a long, broad soaking.
TORRO and Devon
TORRO said thunderstorms were developing in Devon and Somerset and moving ENE broadly, with parts of Wales, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire expected to be affected over the coming hours. TORRO also said the storms carried associated risks of large hail, strong wind gusts and a small risk of a tornado.
For residents and Travel and the practical focus was immediate: plan for brief but sharp disruptions during the evening window, with the highest risks tied to fast-moving storms, surface water and lightning rather than hours of persistent rain.
