Thunderstorms hit parts of the UK

Thunderstorms have hit parts of Wales, the Midlands and southern England on Monday afternoon.

A Met Office yellow weather warning for the storms, which could lead to flooding in parts of England and Wales, is valid until 22:00 BST

The warning covers areas including Wales, the Midlands, west of England, London and the South East with up to 50mm (1.9in) of rain falling within a few hours.

England has had its driest start to spring for 69 years, the Environment Agency said earlier this month.

While another very warm and mostly sunny day for most, heavy showers have been building and leading to some thunderstorms.

With the ground so dry and with heavy rain in places, the Met Office said there was the "potential for minor localised issues" and flash flooding.

The showers and thunderstorms will gradually fade away later on Monday evening.

And while Tuesday will be another warm and sunny day across most parts of the UK, there is the possibility of more storms developing in south Wales and southern England.

Sunshine and settled conditions will return across the UK for the rest of the week, with temperatures forecast to reach the low to mid-twenties.

Last week, the Environment Agency warned water companies that more must be done to safeguard water supplies.

Many places have gone without any rain for weeks, including Preston in Lancashire and parts of Fife which have been dry since mid-April.

According to the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology's three month Drought Index, large parts of the UK are in the 'extremely dry' category.

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