A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms has been issued for Southport, with the Met Office cautioning that heavy rain may lead to significant disruption from Friday night through much of Saturday.
The Met Office has warned: “Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures. Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services.”
The warning, which covers central and eastern England including the Southport area, highlights the potential for damage to property, transport disruption, and localised power outages.
According to the forecast, areas of heavy rain with embedded thunderstorms are expected to move northwestwards overnight into Saturday, bringing rainfall totals of up to 60–90mm within two to three hours in isolated areas. In some places, 20–30mm could fall in under an hour.
The Met Office has added that: “Flooding of homes and businesses could happen quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds. Fast flowing or deep floodwater is possible, causing a danger to life.”