The Met Office issued a Yellow Severe Weather warning for thunderstorms on Thursday 19 June 2025, covering the Midlands, northern England and parts of north Wales1. The warning runs from 15:00 on Saturday to 04:00 on Sunday1. The same forecast puts the highest temperatures of the spell on Saturday, with up to 34°C possible in eastern England1.
The Met Office says many places will likely remain dry and unaffected, but scattered thunderstorms may develop during Saturday afternoon and last through the evening, moving northeastwards and clearing to the North Sea by the early hours of Sunday1. The most intense storms could produce frequent lightning, large hail and gusty winds, along with heavy downpours for a time, which may lead to surface water impacts in places1. Deputy Chief Meteorologist Dan Holley said there was "an increasing risk of some intense thunderstorms developing across portions of north Wales, northern England and southern Scotland later in the afternoon and into the evening hours"1.
| Day | Forecast |
|---|---|
| Friday 20 June | Highs of 32°C possible in central England; isolated showers and thunderstorms possible in western parts, northern Scotland and northeast England by the afternoon1 |
| Saturday 21 June | Low 30s Celsius fairly widely across England, up to 34°C in eastern areas; Yellow thunderstorm warning 15:00 to 04:001 |
| Saturday night | Temperatures possibly not falling below 20°C in some areas, which the Met Office terms a "tropical night"1 |
| Sunday 22 June | Temperatures ease from the west as fresher air arrives from the Atlantic; East Anglia and the far southeast could still see 28-29°C for a time1 |
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued an Amber Heat Health Alert for the whole of England1. The Met Office says the alert is aimed at the health and social care sector, the responder community, the voluntary and community sector and government departments when adverse temperatures are likely to affect the health and wellbeing of the population1. Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said:
The Met Office also reports that high pollen levels will bring challenges for hay fever sufferers and that UV levels will be high1. It adds that the forecast high temperatures may lead to increasing demand for remote health care services and an impact on the ability of services delivered, due to heat effects on the workforce1.
Why it matters for households
The thunderstorm warning covers Saturday afternoon and evening into the early hours of Sunday, so households in the Midlands, northern England and parts of north Wales are in the area where scattered storms may develop, with surface water impacts possible in places1. The Met Office says many places will likely remain dry and unaffected1. The Amber Heat Health Alert applies to the whole of England and covers the same period of rising temperatures1. The Met Office's own guidance on warning levels and on signing up for alerts is set out in its weather warnings explained and Met Office alerts guides, and its wider storms and snow section covers severe weather. UKHSA advises checking on friends, family and neighbours who are more vulnerable and taking sensible precautions while enjoying the sun1.
What happens next
Temperatures are forecast to drop on Sunday, though the far east of England could hold temperatures up to 28°C through the day, with fresher air, cloud and outbreaks of rain moving in from the west and these conditions expected to continue through next week1.
Sources (1)
- Temperatures rise with heatwave conditions into the weekend - Met Office, metoffice.gov.uk
Met Office Weather Warnings
