Thunderstorm warning looms amid record-breaking September heatwave

Thunderstorms are set to hit parts of the UK on Sunday amid a record-breaking September heatwave.

The UK has now sweltered through six days of temperatures above 30C in September for the first time.

While Saturday was named the hottest day of the year so far, with 32.7C recorded in Heathrow.

Forecasters predict that Sunday could be the seventh day in a row that temperatures reach above 30C.

Amid the hot weather, a yellow thunderstorm warning spanning Northern Ireland, northern parts of England and Wales as well as southern Scotland has been issued by the Met Office from 2pm until 11.59pm on Sunday.

The warning means some people could be in store for flash flooding, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds – with possible interruptions to road access and public transport if such circumstances were to occur.

Met Office meteorologist Rachel Ayers said: “As we go into the start of Sunday those showers across the South West will make their way north-eastwards into Wales and the Midlands and later on into northern England, Northern Ireland, and southern Scotland.

“Now these showers could be heavy and thundery too. So we do have a yellow thunderstorm warning out for those northern regions that I mentioned.”

She said that things will start to “brighten up a little” into Sunday afternoon, with the best weather seen in the South East.

“It is (in the South East) that we will see those highest temperatures once again reaching into the low 30s, with 31-32C the forecast high for Sunday,” she said.

“And that would make it the seventh consecutive day that we’ve seen 30C recorded somewhere in the UK this September.”