UK weather warning: Met Office issues yellow alert for THUNDERSTORMS amid amber heat caution as Britain sees warmest day of year

The warnings cover parts of the North East and North West of England, Wales, Yorkshire and areas of the East and West Midlands.

"Whilst many places will likely remain dry and unaffected, scattered thunderstorms may develop during Saturday afternoon, lasting through the evening hours, moving northeastwards before eventually clearing to the North Sea by the early hours of Sunday," the Met Office said online.

It added: "The most intense thunderstorms could produce frequent lightning, large hail and gusty winds, along with some heavy downpours for a time. This may lead to some surface water impacts in places."

An amber heat health alert is currently in place across the whole of England, as temperatures hit more than 30C yesterday.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued the warning over all regions of the country, which will last until over the course of the weekend, running into Monday morning at 9am.

Britons are warned that "a rise in deaths" is likely among those with pre-existing health conditions, as well as those aged over 65.

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For central and eastern England, temperatures will rise to between 30 and 33C on Saturday, although the Met Office has suggested the peak could be as high as 34C.

Yesterday, a temperature of 32.2C was recorded in Kew and Heathrow, London, beating the previous record for 2025 by 2.8C, which was set in Suffolk a week ago.

Wales saw its hottest day of the year so far yesterday, with temperatures reaching 30.2C in Cardiff.

At Royal Ascot in Berkshire, race organisers confirmed dozens of people required medical assistance due to heat-related illnesses.

The Met Office has issued a series of instances that may occur under a yellow alert for thunderstorms:

• Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
• There is a small chance that some communities will 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
• There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds
• Where lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services