Six southwest England areas under thunderstorm alert as Met Office warns of hail, lightning and 60mph winds

A Met Office yellow thunderstorm warning is in place for six areas in southwest England on Thursday evening and night, with forecasters warning of hail, frequent lightning, heavy rain and gusts of 50 to 60 mph.

The warning covers a broad stretch of the region, with the greatest local risk said to be along the south coast of Devon and Cornwall. The alert comes after another very hot day and amid a wider UK heatwave.

What forecasters are warning about

The Met Office has warned that thunderstorms could bring sudden gusty winds, hail and intense downpours. The main concerns are flash flooding, standing water on roads, delayed journeys and brief power cuts.

Coverage of the alert says the warning window runs from 18:00 to 23:59 UTC, with some reports describing it as 6:00 p.m. to midnight local time.

Where the risk is highest

Six locations or regions in southwest England are included in the warning, though the impact is expected to be uneven. Some places may see little or no disruption, while coastal and flood-prone communities face the highest chance of trouble.

Devon and Cornwall are the areas singled out for the strongest local impacts, especially where heavy rain combines with lightning and wind gusts.

Wider weather backdrop

The thunderstorm alert lands during a spell of unstable hot weather across the UK. Separate reporting on the same day said parts of England and Wales had already faced extreme heat warnings, while earlier thunderstorms this week were linked to widespread lightning and some flash flooding in London.

The immediate question is whether the Met Office will extend, upgrade or cancel the warning, and whether overnight reports confirm any local disruption in southwest England.