Met Office warns of 'likely flooding' in Derbyshire as it upgrades thunderstorm weather warning to Amber Alert

An amber weather warning has now been issued for Derbyshire, following a less severe yellow weather warning that was put in place this morning.

It means a period of ‘exceptionally heavy rainfall’ is expected, alongside frequent lightning strikes, and winds of up to 45mph. Travel is expected to be disrupted and the Met Office has warned that flooding is ‘likely’.

It follows a weekend of high temperatures across England and Wales – with temperatures in some parts of the country hitting more than 30°C.

A spokesperson for the Met Office said: “A cluster or line of very active thunderstorms is moving towards the northwest from from Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire towards the West Midlands. These will bring a period of exceptionally heavy rainfall with 30-40mm falling in around 30 minutes, perhaps around 60mm in an hour for some locations. Frequent lightning strikes, winds that may gust to 45 mph, and some large hail stones perhaps up to 4cm in diameter will also accompany the storms.

"Surface water flooding may happen very quickly, likely disrupting travel and flooding some properties (especially in urban areas). Lightning, strong winds and hail will all pose a significant danger to those outdoors. The ultimate northwestern extent of this area remains somewhat uncertain.”

What to expect?

The Met Office warns residents:

• Flooding of homes and businesses is likely and could happen quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds
• Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, delays and some cancellations to train and bus services are likely
• Spray and sudden flooding probably leading to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
• Some communities likely to become temporarily cut off if roads flood
• Power cuts likely to occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost