Thunderstorm Warning Issued for Glasgow and Surrounding Areas as Heavy Downpours Loom
Glasgow and much of Strathclyde are bracing for a day of extremes as the Met Office issues a yellow thunderstorm warning. Scorching summer heat will collide with sudden, intense downpours today, bringing the potential for disruption from the early hours until late evening.
Despite temperatures peaking at a balmy 24°C, forecasters say the skies could turn quickly. From midnight until 10pm, bursts of torrential rain, thunderstorms and even hail are expected to sweep across the region.
The warning covers a wide stretch of central and western Scotland, with Glasgow at the heart of the alert. Residents are being told to prepare for possible travel delays, road closures, and power outages. Flooding is also on the cards, with surface water expected to build rapidly in affected areas.
A Met Office spokesperson said: “Whilst not all areas will be affected, heavy showers and thunderstorms may develop in places during the early hours of Thursday and into Thursday morning, perhaps merging into some larger areas of rain.
Where heavy downpours occur, 20-40 mm of rain could accumulate in less than an hour, bringing the risk of some surface water flooding. Hail and lightning will be additional hazards.
“Further scattered heavy showers and thunderstorms are then likely to develop on Thursday afternoon and evening across portions of central and eastern Scotland in particular.
These will be rather slow-moving, potentially giving isolated accumulations of 40-60 mm in an hour, with a higher likelihood of some impacts from surface water flooding. Showers and thunderstorms should slowly decay during the mid to late evening.”
While not every part of the warning zone will be hit, forecasters say conditions could become treacherous very quickly. Motorists are urged to plan ahead, with warnings that some areas may see dangerous floodwaters deep enough to threaten life.
For broader coverage of current UK thunderstorm alerts, the Met Office has issued updates affecting several regions beyond Scotland.
The affected Strathclyde areas include: Argyll and Bute, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, and West Dunbartonshire.
Locals are being advised to keep an eye on real-time updates, secure outdoor belongings, and take extra care if travelling.
