THUNDER, lightning and flooding could be seen across Dorset today.

A yellow weather warning has been issued by the Met Office and runs until 10pm tonight.

The south west, including Dorset and BCP areas, can expect to see slow-moving heavy showers and thunderstorms throughout the day.

The warning comes after some of the hottest few days on record, which saw an amber extreme heat warning extending over much of the county with temperatures reaching as high as 32°C and an average temperature of 26°C.

A spokesperson for the Met Office said: “While some areas will remain dry, slow moving, heavy thunderstorms are likely to develop from mid to late morning, likely peaking during the afternoon and early evening before decaying later.

“Where thunderstorms do occur, 20-25 mm of rain is possible in less than an hour, and 40-50 mm could fall in two or three hours. Hail and frequent lightning are potential additional hazards.”

The Met Office said there is "a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost".

They have also warned that people should be aware that spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures. Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services.

The warning was updated this morning to extend into parts of Wales and up to Manchester.