Thunderstorms, lightning and hail were expected to sweep across southern England and Wales overnight, damaging buildings and causing power cuts, forecasters warned.
The Met Office put a yellow warning in place until 4am today with the weather conditions also likely to cause some flooding and travel disruption.The warning covered London and southeast England, southwest England, large parts of Wales, east of England, Northamptonshire, and Warwickshire Northern Ireland.
Driving conditions were likely to be affected by spray or hail, and lightning strikes with gusty winds could damage buildings and other structures. Homes and businesses were at risk from flooding and there were also warnings of possible disruption to train services. Forecasters said some short-term loss of power was also possible.
The Met Office said the heavy