Met Office issues thunderstorm warnings across all four home nations as bank holiday deluge threatens hail and lightning
Dozens of homes in Birmingham and beyond sustained flood damage as a record-breaking summer of five heatwaves gave way to lightning, torrential rain and widespread disruption.A festival-goer is rescued from the mud at Reading, where heavy, thundery showers are forecast to push into the site by Sunday evening.
The Met Office has put the entire UK under yellow thunderstorm warnings for bank holiday Sunday, with only parts of south-east England and northern Scotland left outside the alert zones. The England and Wales warnings run until midnight, and rainfall could reach 40mm within just a few hours. Gusts of up to 45mph add to the hazards, with forecasters warning of flood risk to homes and businesses and widespread transport disruption. Met Office meteorologist Kathryn Chalk said people will 'need that umbrella at hand' as heavy, intense downpours move eastward through the afternoon.
Festivalgoers at Reading and Leeds are already knee-deep in mud after Saturday's downpours, with Sunday's thunderstorms set to bring another soaking.
Twenty-five regions of Scotland are under warning, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Perth, where lightning strikes could damage buildings and cause power cuts.
Notting Hill Carnival crowds face a wetter Sunday evening as the 60th anniversary event hits the streets, with conditions expected to deteriorate into the night.
