Severe Weather Continues to Grip the UK with Lightning Flashing Across Multiple Regions

Severe weather warnings have expired, but the risk of thunderstorms remains, with hundreds of lightning flashes reported across England. The Met Office has warned that there is still a risk of isolated thunderstorm activity in the east or southeast of England, although the frequency and impacts will be much reduced compared to Wednesday and Thursday. The agency has also stated that hot conditions will remain until a fresher and cooler influence begins from Friday.

Key Takeaways:

• The Met Office has warned that there is still a risk of isolated thunderstorm activity in the east or southeast of England, with the frequency and impacts reduced compared to Wednesday and Thursday.
• Hot conditions will remain until a fresher and cooler influence begins from Friday, potentially sparking further thunderstorms.
• Charts from lightningmaps.org show that hundreds of lightning flashes have been reported across the country, with major clusters around Basingstoke and Winchester, and towards the Midlands.
• Storms have touched the outskirts of London, with systems largely skirting the city to the southwest and moving around Reading and Oxford.
• The long-range forecast covering August 6 to 15 suggests that there remains the possibility of further thunderstorms in the south, with areas further south likely to see ridges of higher pressure bringing fine, settled weather.
• The Met Office has issued a statement warning that some warnings may need to be issued at short notice ahead of the development of the most intense thunderstorm activity.

Statistics:

• Hundreds of lightning flashes have been reported across the country over the last day.
• A major cluster of lightning flashes has been reported around Basingstoke and Winchester.
• Storms have touched the outskirts of London, with systems largely skirting the city to the southwest and moving around Reading and Oxford.
• The Met Office has stated that there is a risk of "isolated thunderstorm activity" in the east or southeast of England.
• The long-range forecast suggests that areas further south are more likely to see ridges of higher pressure, bringing fine, settled weather, although there remains the potential for some wetter, thundery or more generally unsettled interludes.

Sources:

• The Met Office press statement on Monday, warning of the risk of isolated thunderstorm activity and potential for further storms.
• Charts from lightningmaps.org, showing hundreds of lightning flashes across the country.
• The Met Office's long-range forecast covering August 6 to 15, suggesting the possibility of further thunderstorms in the south.