Thunderstorm warning is issued for south as Britain braces for more heavy rain

It’s ANOTHER weekend washout! Thunderstorm warning is issued for south as Britain braces for more heavy rain over weekend – while Wimbledon fans are urged to pack an umbrella

  • Wimbledon was a sea of umbrellas today as fans prepared for a day of closed courts and murky weather
  • The Met Office has issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for much of central England on Saturday
  • Photographs from inside The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club show hundreds of umbrellas 
  • Temperatures will peak at 68F (21C) today before dropping to the mid-teens tomorrow and into next week 
  • Find out the latest Euro 2020 news including fixtures, live action and results here

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A thunderstorm warning has been issued for the south of England as Britons brace for heavy rain and highs of 68F (21C) this weekend.

Wimbledon was a sea of umbrellas this morning as fans prepared for a day of closed courts and murky weather on day six of the Championship. 

The Met Office has issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for much of central England on Saturday, while a similar warning of heavy rain is in place for large swathes of the South West.

It means tennis spectators hoping to attend Wimbledon or football fans planning to congregate in pubs or fan zones for England’s Euro 2020 match against Ukraine could be lashed by the wet weather.

Photographs from inside The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club show hundreds of umbrellas as spectators made sure to pack their brollies for the changeable weather forecast.

Wimbledon (pictured) was a sea of umbrellas this morning as fans prepared for a day of closed courts and murky weather on day six of the Championship

Photographs from inside The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club show hundreds of umbrellas as spectators made sure to pack their brollies for the changeable weather forecast

Photographs from inside The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club show hundreds of umbrellas as spectators made sure to pack their brollies for the changeable weather forecast 

The weather alerts warn that people could see flooding to homes and businesses, delays or cancellations to transport services and a danger that communities may become ‘cut-off’.

Temperatures will peak at 68F (21C) today before dropping to the mid-teens tomorrow and into next week. 

Tom Morgan, a Met Office forecaster, said: ‘We have two yellow weather warnings in place, the first covering the South West of England including parts of Cornwall, Devon and Bristol, which will see heavy and persistent downpours and even some flooding from Saturday afternoon.

‘Another warning of thunderstorms will cover large swathes of central England, spanning from the south to north, starting from 6am on Saturday. These areas will see scattered, heavy showers, thunderstorms and even some hail.’

Mr Morgan put this down to an area of low pressure over the UK, brought about by a jetstream bringing changeable, wet weather.

The Met Office has issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for much of central England on Saturday, while a similar warning of heavy rain is in place for large swathes of the South West. Pictured, Wimbledon

The Met Office has issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for much of central England on Saturday, while a similar warning of heavy rain is in place for large swathes of the South West. Pictured, Wimbledon

He added: ‘There are quite a few sporting events over the weekend, including England’s Euro 2020 match against Ukraine in Rome at 8pm on Saturday.

‘While the players will be playing in 28C temperatures, back in England spectators in pubs and fan zones will be hit with heavy downpours.

‘It may also be a washout for tennis-goers at Wimbledon, who I’d advise to have an umbrella to hand, despite there being some sunny spells.’

Those in Wales will be hit with wet and even thundery conditions on Saturday, while parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland will see mostly cloudy conditions along with some rainfall.