Amber Weather Warning

The Met Office has issued amber and yellow thunderstorm warnings from 2100 tonight to 1100 on Saturday. Torrential rain, up to 100mm in just a few hours, may lead to flash flooding.

Heavy rain are forecast to roll into central southern England and south-east England on Friday night through to Saturday morning.

After very dry conditions, the risk of flooding is higher than you might expect. That’s because dry, compacted ground struggles to absorb water quickly, causing intense rainfall to run off surfaces and overwhelm drains.

You can find safety guidance from the Met Office here: Stay safe in thunderstorms and flooding

Please make sure you get the right help if needed. Here’s a list of emergency contacts:

• Highway flooding: To report flooding from roads, gullies or ditches, please contact your local highway authority here .

• Land drainage or groundwater flooding: If water is running off nearby land or seeping up through the ground, please contact your local council here .

• River flooding: If a river has burst its banks, please contact the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60 .
• Sewer flooding: If you’re experiencing flooding from sewers, such as water backing up through toilets or manholes, please report it to us here . You can also check if Thames Water is your sewerage services here .

Responding to flooding is a multi-agency effort, and we work closely with local authorities, the Environment Agency, and other partners to help keep communities safe.