Overview

• Met Office yellow rain warnings are active this morning until 12pm for parts of southern and eastern England, including London, the South East, the East of England, Dorset and Bournemouth-Christchurch-Poole.
• Forecasters expect 10–20mm of rain in less than an hour in places, with 50–70mm possible in a few hours near coasts, alongside isolated thunder and hail.
• Gusts in excess of 50 mph are possible, with the strongest winds and more prolonged rain signalled for Saturday, particularly in the south west.
• Liverpool and wider Merseyside are forecast to see a band of heavy rain Saturday afternoon, with showers easing later in the day.
• Authorities advise preparing simple flood kits with torches, batteries and mobile power packs, checking local travel updates, and monitoring rapidly changing forecasts.