Thunderstorm warning for Saturday

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Many places will see a short period of heavy rain whilst some may see a more prolonged period of rain

A thunderstorm warning has been issued across the majority of England, including the Rochdale borough and Greater Manchester for Saturday (3 July).

The Met Office says: “An area of heavy rain and some thunderstorms is expected to develop on Saturday morning over southern England and then move northeastwards before clearing into the North Sea late on Saturday.

“Many places will see a short period of heavy rain whilst some may see a more prolonged period of rain along with some intense bursts, with lightning and hail. Under the heavier rain some sites could see 30-40 mm rain falling in a few hours. Once this clears, further heavy showers are expected to break out.

“These will be more hit-and-miss with many sites staying dry following early rain, but where they do occur, there is a chance of 30-35 mm rain falling in an hour, again accompanied by lightning and hail.”

What to expect

• There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes or hail
• Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services
• Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
• There is a small chance that some communities become cut off by flooded roads
• There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost