Why will thunderstorms hit the UK? Your questions answered
As much as 30mm of rainfall expected to fall in one hour.
Severe thunderstorms are expected in parts of England as the country continues to sizzle through a searing heatwave.
A yellow weather warning is in place from Friday afternoon through to Saturday morning, with as much as 30mm of rainfall expected to fall in one hour.
Here we answer some of the key questions around thunderstorms.
Why do thunderstorms happen during heatwaves?
The two vital ingredients for a thunderstorm are instability in the atmosphere and moisture, Grahame Madge at the Met Office said. Thunderstorms take place when there is more humid air in the system, which is the case at the moment during the ongoing heatwave. They tend to develop later in the afternoon after the progressive heating during the early part of the day, Mr Madge added.
Has this happened in the UK before?
Yes. The 1976 heatwave and dry spell was occasionally interrupted by violent storms. Met Office archives reveal that “thunderstorms occurred in many districts” during the first half of July 1976, with heavy rain causing local flooding on several days. On July 12 1976 a man was killed at Clapham near Bedford when the cab of his lorry was struck by lightning. The same day, 64.8mm of rain was recorded at Sudborough in Northamptonshire, while at Ashover in Derbyshire 15mm of rain fell in just 12 minutes.
How do thunderstorms form?
Are thunderstorms common?
Thunderstorms are common occurrences on Earth, according to the Met Office. It is estimated that a lightning strike hits somewhere on the Earth’s surface approximately 44 times every second, a total of nearly 1.4 billion lightning strikes every year.
What actually is thunder and lightning?
Is there a risk of flooding during the UK thunderstorms? And if so, why?
Is there anywhere in the UK where thunderstorms are most common?
In the UK thunderstorms are most common over the East Midlands and the South East, according to the Met Office.
