Yellow warning for heavy thunderstorms & lightning that could damage buildings as Brits brace for wild weather

A YELLOW warning has been issued for heavy thunderstorms and lightning as Brits brace for wild weather.

The Met Office has warned that even buildings could be damaged today with the warning in place until 7pm this evening.

The yellow warning will affect many town and cities from across England, with heavy rain also forecast in the following days.

It came into place at 12pm today and warns of potential flooding.

The warning also indicates that there could be disruption to travel.

The north-east, north-west, midlands and east of England will be hit by the unusual weather.

This includes cities and towns such as Hull, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham and Norwich.

The say on their website: "Heavy showers and thunderstorms may cause some impacts to travel.

"There is a good chance driving conditions will be affected by spray, standing water and/or hail, leading to longer journey times by car and bus.

"Delays to train services are possible.

"Flooding of a few homes and businesses is possible, potentially leading to some damage to buildings or structures.

"Perhaps damage to a few buildings and structures from lightning strikes, with short-term loss of power and other services possible."

Many parts of Britain had already seen heavy rain this month as Autumn began with relentless wet weather.

There are fears of tropical storms sweeping in from the Atlantic will bring heavy rain and humidity over the coming days.

Earlier this week Met Office forecaster Annie Shuttleworth said: "More downpours to dodge over the next few days.

"On Thursday, surface water impacts could lead to travel disruption for some of us.

"Into the night there is a continued risk of rumbles of thunder."

Saturday is looking drier, with sunshine and highs of 22C in London, but the rain will come hammering down again on Sunday and into next week.

The wet weather comes comes after a summer which featured record-breaking temperatures.