Met Office issues yellow thunderstorm warnings across huge swathe of England

The Met Office has issued three urgent thunderstorm warnings covering a large area of the UK over the next 24 hours.

The south of England, the Midlands and East Anglia are included the yellow weather warning area today, as well as parts of Wales. Thunderstorms and heavy showers are expected to last until 8pm this evening. A separate weather warning for rain is also in force in northeast Scotland , and will expire at 9pm.

And from 2am tomorrow, most of Wales and northern England will be under a 15-hour yellow thunderstorm warning as the front moves to the northeast.

An alert from the Met Office reads: "Scattered heavy showers, some with thunder, are expected to develop later this morning and into the afternoon, before easing this evening. In the most active storms, hail, strong