Yellow thunderstorm warning: up to 75mm of rain could fall in 12 hours

A yellow thunderstorm warning covers Birmingham until 10pm on Thursday 27 August, with the Met Office warning that up to 75mm of rain could fall in some places within 12 hours.

The warning covers a large part of England and Wales. Forecasters say slow-moving, heavy and thundery rain could bring lightning strikes, hail, flooding and power cuts.

Be prepared

The Met Office is urging people in areas prone to flash flooding to prepare a flood plan and an emergency kit. It recommends:

• gathering torches, spare batteries and a charged power bank in case of power cuts;
• securing bins, garden furniture, trampolines, gazebos and other loose items;

It is also worth checking whether your home is at risk of flooding, and knowing how to turn off your gas, electricity and water.

The warning follows another thunderstorm alert the previous day. Heavy rain falling quickly on ground baked hard by the summer's heat is more likely to run off than soak in, raising the risk of surface flooding.

For flood warnings, check the Environment Agency's service or call Floodline on 0345 988 1188. If life is at risk, call 999.