Hampshire weather warning: Thunder and lightning forecast to hit Portsmouth as strong winds and rain move across England

According to the forecaster, a recent spell of “drier and more settled” weather comes to a close on Friday, August 18, due to a low pressure system bringing wind and rain to areas including Hampshire.

A statement from the Met Office said: “A line of thunderstorms are expected to develop during Friday morning and move gradually northeast before weakening into the afternoon. Whilst most places will only see a short period of heavy rain, a few places may see 30-40 mm of rain in less than 2 hours. In addition to heavy rain, some thunderstorms may produce frequent lightning.”

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People in across the county can expect longer journeys by car, bus and train, possible flooding and damage to buildings, and short term loss of power or structural damage from lightning strikes.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Steven Keates added: “The main event arrives during Friday evening, with the potential for intense thunderstorms to break out over parts of England, bringing a lot of rain in a short period of time, along with the risk of hail and frequent lightning.

"At the same time heavy rain, initially arriving into the southwest, will fairly steadily move northeast, potentially bringing some substantial rainfall totals to parts of Northern Ireland and eastern Scotland in particular.”