RESIDENTS are being told to prepare for some extreme weather, with thunder and lightning storms forecast.
The Met Office has issued two yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms across the north west of England.
The first will come into effect from 3am tomorrow, Wednesday, and it will remain in place through to 10pm that evening.
This states: “A band of heavy showers and thunderstorms is expected to move northwards on Wednesday morning.
“A drier, brighter interlude may follow, but with a chance of further showers and thunderstorms breaking out during the afternoon.
“Many places will miss these, but where they do occur, they may be intense with 20mm to 30mm rain falling in less than an hour, and perhaps 40mm to 50mm in two to three hours in a few spots, leading to some surface water flooding.
“Large hail and frequent lightning are also possible. The showers and thunderstorms will drift northwards and ease during the evening.”
The second warning comes into force at 6am on Thursday, again remaining in place through to 10pm that evening.
That warning states: “A band of thunderstorms and heavy rain will move north across England and Wales, perhaps becoming slow-moving in the afternoon and evening.
“Accumulations of 20mm to 30mm in three hours can be expected fairly widely, and up to 50mm in a 12-hour period can be expected in places.
“There is a small chance that some places may see more than 50mm in three hours, and more than 75mm through 12 hours, especially over east-facing high ground.
“Lightning and hail of 1cm to 2cm will also be hazards.”
Forecasters warn that there is a chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail, or strong winds.
Moreover, there is a small chance of fast-flowing or deep floodwater causing a danger to life.
Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services.
Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures, and there is a small chance that some communities become cut off by flooded roads.
Forecasters also say that there is a slight chance that power cuts could occur, and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost.
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