Severe Weather Warning Issued for England and Wales

Parts of England and Wales are bracing for heavy rain and gusty winds, with a yellow national severe weather warning issued by the Met Office. The warning comes into effect at 9am and is in place until 6pm today, with forecasters predicting very showery conditions, including frequent heavy showers and thundery weather. Up to 40mm of rain is expected to fall in a short period, which is more rain than fell in the entire month of May, a month that saw only 32.8mm of rainfall.

Key Takeaways:

• A yellow national severe weather warning has been issued by the Met Office for parts of central and southern England and Wales, effective from 9am to 6pm on Saturday.
• Up to 40mm of rain is expected to fall in a short period, more than the entire month of May, which saw only 32.8mm of rainfall.
• Frequent heavy showers, thunderstorms, lightning, hail, and strong, gusty winds are possible, making thunderstorm prediction a complex challenge.
• While many areas will experience showers, not all will see thunderstorms, due to their small and fast-changing nature.
• The Met Office chief meteorologist Dan Suri compares the challenge of predicting thunderstorms to boiling a pan of water and trying to guess exactly where and when the bubbles will appear.
• Sunday is expected to be a drier day, but with a chance of showers in the north and east at first, with clear and sunny spells forecast for many areas.

Statistics:

• Up to 40mm of rain is expected to fall in a short period, which is more than the entire month of May.
• England had 32.8mm of rain in May, which is almost half the month's usual average rainfall.
• 10-15mm of rain could fall in under an hour, while 30-40mm could fall over several hours from successive showers and thunderstorms.

Sources:

• "Met Office issues yellow warning for thunderstorms" (no date)
• (Associated Press)