Hot and humid weather could end with thunderstorms in Brighton

The hot and humid weather could end with thunderstorms in Brighton and Hove, according to the Met Office.

The official forecaster said that parts of the country could be hotter than Ibiza, Mykonos and Los Angeles today (Friday 13 June), with temperatures in the twenties – or seventies for those more familiar with fahrenheit.

Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said: “A good chunk of England and southern Scotland will be dry for most of Friday.”

He said that “beefy showers” were expected in some western areas after “a humid start to what will be a very warm day for some on Friday”.

But by this evening, a yellow weather warning, covering a wide area including Brighton and Hove, prompted the Met Office to say that thunderstorms could cause disruption overnight.

Mr Deakin said: “It will be cooler in the far south-west, particularly as the heavy downpours arrive in the afternoon.”

He also warned of hail, gusty wind and the possibility of flooding as the skies cloud over.

While many areas within the warning zone may escape severe weather, torrential downpours could bring more than inch and possibly 2in of rain – or 30mm to 50mm – in a short time before conditions ease tomorrow morning.

Mr Deakin said that there was “a bit of uncertainty” over tomorrow’s forecast but he predicted “heavy rain” in the north as well as afternoon thunderstorms further south.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued its first yellow heat-health alert of the year, running until 8am on Sunday and covering a wide area including the south east.

Under the UKHSA and the Met Office weather-health alerts system, a yellow alert means that there could be an increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable people.

It may lead to an increase in risk to health for individuals aged over 65 or those with pre-existing health conditions including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.