West Midlands weather: Yellow thunderstorm warning in place as region warned of scattered 'heavy showers' and possible travel disruption
Thunderstorm warnings have been put in place for the West Midlands.
Residents around the West Midlands are being warned to expect heavy, scattered showers and thunder, leading to possible disruptions to regular travel.
The yellow thunderstorm warning, issued by the Met Office, covers areas of Walsall, Dudley, Sandwell and Wolverhampton and is set to be in place until 8pm today.
A second yellow thunderstorm warning covering the same areas as well as the entirety of Staffordshire will then be in place between 2am and 5pm tomorrow.
The thunderstorm is expected to bring between 30-60mm of rain in an hour in some areas, with hail and lightning also being possible.
The Met Office also warned of possible flooding, and delays to regular travel.
The Met Office said: "An area of heavy showers and thunderstorms, moving northeast, may cause some localised flooding.
"Bands of heavy showers and thunderstorms are expected to move northeast across parts of England and Wales on Thursday. As showers progress northeastward, they will become temporarily slow-moving, leading to an increased chance of surface water flooding.
"Whilst the vast majority of places will have either non-impactful rain or remain dry, a few places within this area could see 30-60mm in an hour. Hail and lightning will be additional, possibly locally impactful, hazards."
The West Midlands is also expected to experience high winds as a result of the shifting weather, with the Met Office warning that the short-term loss of power and other services 'is likely'.
On what to expect from the storm, the weather group added: "There is a good chance driving conditions will be affected by spray, standing water and/or hail, leading to longer journey times by car and bus.
"Probably some damage to a few buildings and structures from strong winds and/or lightning strikes.
"Delays to train services are possible.
"Some short-term loss of power and other services is likely
"There is a small chance that a few properties could become flooded."
