Flooding and tornadoes forecast as Met Office warns of 100mm of rain in a day

The Environment Agency has 30 flood warnings in place across England.

Natalie Marchant, Connor Parker and Andy Wells
Updated ·6 min read
The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning across much of central England
The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning across much of central England. (Met Office)

Warnings of heavy rain, flooding and brief tornadoes were issued for parts of England.

On Thursday, the Met Office issued an amber weather warning for rain that covered an area from near Oxford to Leicester and Worcester to east of Cambridge and applied from 6pm this evening to 6am tomorrow.

Forecasters were expecting heavy rain to cause flooding and transport disruption. Parts of the amber warning region could receive 30-40mm of rain in three hours or less.

The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (Toro) also put much of the South-east on alert for isolated brief tornadoes, hail, lightning and gusty winds of up to 50mph.

A suspected tornado was seen near Abingdon in Oxfordshire on Thursday afternoon.

Earlier, the Met Office issued three yellow warnings – one for much of the southern part of England and Wales, another for north-eastern England and the third for the eastern side of Northern Ireland – with predictions of possible travel disruption, flooding, power cuts and road closures for Thursday and into Friday morning.

The highest rainfall totals were predicted across the Pennines and North York Moors where 80-100mm could accumulate. Most areas are likely to see 20-30mm of rain, even increasing to 50-70mm.

It comes after parts of the country saw more than the monthly average rainfall on Monday, with flash flooding damaging homes and disrupting travel. There were further downpours on Wednesday evening.

The rain is expected to clear during Friday leaving conditions much colder on Saturday. However, the Environment Agency has dozens of flood warnings in place for Thursday.

Flood warnings are in place across much of England. (Environment Agency)
Flood warnings are in place across much of England. (Environment Agency)

By 5pm on Thursday, the Environment Agency had issued 36 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 101 flood alerts, meaning it is possible, in place across England.

These covered large parts of the Midlands and some areas of southern England, including London, Reading, Luton, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Leicester and Cheltenham.

Horse riders make their way through flood water in Walton in Warwickshire. 35 flood warnings are in place across England on Tuesday morning. Parts of Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire saw more than 100mm of rain in the last 48 hours. Picture date: Tuesday September 24, 2024. (Photo by Jacob King/PA Images via Getty Images)
Horse riders make their way through flood water in Walton in Warwickshire. (PA)

The Met Office said parts of Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire saw more than 100mm of rain in 48 hours this week already, with Woburn in Bedfordshire recording 132mm, more than double its average September rainfall.

The A421 in Bedfordshire was closed on Tuesday in both directions between the A6 Bedford and M1 J13 near Marston Moretaine because of severe flooding.

The northbound A5 between the A421 in Bletchley and Great Holm at Milton Keynes was closed by rising water levels on Tuesday morning after one lane had been opened overnight.

The open boot of a car is visible above the water where the vehicle is submerged in flood water on a421 in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire. Parts of Britain have been struck by flash floods after some areas saw more than a month's worth of rain in 24 hours. Heavy rainfall has seen parts of Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and London submerged causing widespread travel disruption and damage to properties. Picture date: Monday September 23, 2024. (Photo by Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty Images)
The open boot of a car is visible above the water where the vehicle is submerged in flood water on the A421 in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire. (PA)
Neighbours help to clear flood water from the home of John Sayles in Grendon, Northamptonshire. An amber weather warning for heavy rain has come into force in parts of England, with the Met Office warning that affected areas could experience more than a month's worth of rain falling on Monday. Picture date: Monday September 23, 2024.
Neighbours help to clear flood water from the home of John Sayles in Grendon, Northamptonshire. (PA)
A sinkhole on the pitch and flooded walkways at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, home of AFC Wimbledon. AFC Wimbledon and Newcastle's Carabao Cup third-round meeting on Tuesday has been called off due to
A sinkhole on the pitch and flooded walkways at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, home of AFC Wimbledon, south west London. (PA)
Flooded field seen by the village of Clifford Chambers in Warwickshire on Tuesday. (PA)
Flooded field seen by the village of Clifford Chambers in Warwickshire on Tuesday. (PA)

Train services were also affected, as London Northwestern Railway said its Marston Vale line, which operates services between Bedford and Bletchley, would be suspended until 30 September.

Chiltern Railways said trains between Banbury and Bicester North were running at reduced speed on all lines.

The National Grid said it had seen a week’s worth of power cuts across the weekend.

A man walks his dog on a flooded road in Willersley village, Gloucestershire. An amber weather warning for heavy rain has come into force in parts of England, with the Met Office warning that affected areas could experience more than a month's worth of rain falling on Monday. Picture date: Monday September 23, 2024.
A man walks his dog on a flooded road in Willersley village, Gloucestershire. (PA)
RETRANSMITTING AMENDING DATELINE Floodwater submerges Spencer Football Club in Northampton. 35 flood warnings are in place across England on Tuesday morning. Parts of Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire saw more than 100mm of rain in the last 48 hours. Picture date: Tuesday September 24, 2024. (Photo by Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty Images)
Spencer Football Club in Northampton was covered in water. (PA)
MARSTON MORETAINE, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 24: An aerial view as traffic passes along a road bridge over the flooded A421 dual carriageway on September 24, 2024 in Marston Moretaine, England. There was widespread travel disruption and damage to properties after Monday's heavy rains and flash flooding. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
An aerial view as traffic passes along a road bridge over the flooded A421 dual carriageway in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire. (Getty Images)
Flooding hit the A421 in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, on Tuesday. (PA/Lee Elliot)
Flooding hit the A421 in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, on Tuesday. (PA/Lee Elliot)

On Monday, some schools in Bedfordshire were forced to close because of flooding, while a sinkhole appeared on the pitch at AFC Wimbledon's stadium in south west London. London Fire Brigade said its 999 control officers took about 350 calls to flooding across the capital, with people rescued from cars and homes.

Yahoo News breaks down what the weather will be like for each region of the UK, according to the Met Office.

  • Thursday

Heavy, potentially thundery showers. Breezy with strong winds at the coast. Maximum temperature 19C.

  • Friday to Saturday

Rain continuing on Friday morning before clearing to a sunny afternoon. Drier but feeling cold with plenty of sunshine on Saturday.

  • Thursday

Sunny spells with showers, turning heavy and blustery. Risk of thunderstorms. Maximum temperature 17C.

  • Friday to Saturday

Rain clearing to leave a mostly sunny day on Friday. Feeling cold. Largely fine on Saturday after a chilly start.

  • Thursday

Cloudy with showery rain with a chance of heavy, thundery showers. More persistent rain in the evening. Maximum temperature 16C.

  • Friday to Saturday

A drier and brighter day with some sunny spells. Temperatures below average. Largely fine on Saturday after a chilly start.

  • Thursday

Wet and windy but rain moving southwards throughout the day. Feeling chilly. Maximum temperature 12C.

  • Friday to Saturday

Feeling cool and windy on Friday, some sunny spells and isolated showers. Staying cold Saturday with a good deal of sunshine, isolated coastal showers.

  • Thursday

Cloudy with outbreaks of heavy rain and possible localised flooding. Feeling cold. Maximum temperature 14C.

  • Friday to Saturday

Drier and brighter on Friday with isolated showers possible. Largely fine on Saturday after a chilly start.

  • Thursday

Cloudy with some rain. Brighter spells developing. Maximum temperature 12C.

  • Friday to Saturday

Mainly dry with a chance of showers on Friday. Cloudy with showers on Saturday.

Heavy rain is falling on large parts of the country on Thursday. (Met Office)
Heavy rain is falling on large parts of the country on Thursday. (Met Office)

  • Thursday

Overcast with persistent and heavy rain. Chance of localised flooding. Turning drier in the afternoon with strong winds. Maximum temperature 13C.

  • Friday to Saturday

Brighter spells but with some heavy showers on Friday. Winds easing.. Cloudy with some showers on Saturday.

  • Thursday

Cloudy with spells of persistent rain. Heavy, thundery showers possible in the south. Maximum temperature 16C.

  • Friday to Saturday

Drier and brighter on Friday but some showers possible. Largely fine on Saturday after a chilly start.

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