South East warned to brace for 'intense' rain

The south-east of England faces torrential rain over the weekend as an amber thunderstorm warning comes into force.

The Met Office has warned Surrey, Sussex and west Kent will expect up to 10cm of rain in places from 04:00 BST to 11:00 on Saturday, leading to surface flooding and power cuts.

Chief meteorologist Andy Page said: "The intense rainfall could lead to surface water flooding as well as frequent lightning and hail too."

The alert follows a less severe yellow warning which is in place across all three regions until Saturday evening.

The forecaster has issued advice to not drive during thunderstorms if possible, and to drive slowly with dipped headlights if driving cannot be avoided.

Mr Page added roads may be busy at the weekend as more schools break up for the summer holidays.

He said: "It's important people keep up-to-date with the very latest forecast."

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