A yellow thunderstorm and heavy rain showers warning has been issued by the Met Office for Essex.

The warning area covers the whole county which is in place from 9 am on Saturday, July 8 until the end of the day.

It is expected that the worst of the thunderstorms will be in the early part of the day for Essex as it shifts further north as the day goes on.

What to expect from a Met Office thunderstorm warning

In terms of what to expect in Essex for the Met Office yellow thunderstorm warning, the forecaster states:

  • Flooding of homes and businesses could happen quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds
  • Fast-flowing or deep floodwater is possible, causing a danger to life
  • Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services
  • Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
  • Some communities might become cut off if roads flood
  • Power cuts might occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost

Dunmow Broadcast: The weather warning covers the entire countyThe weather warning covers the entire county (Image: Met Office)

In a statement, the Met Office said: "Heavy showers and thunderstorms are expected on Saturday, during the morning mainly over parts of England before becoming mainly focused over northern England and Scotland by late afternoon/evening.

"Some intense downpours are likely and whilst rainfall accumulations will vary from place to place, as much as 50 mm of rain could fall in a short space of time in some locations.

"Hail, lightning and gusty winds will be additional hazards."