Amber warning issued for thunderstorms

Heavy rainfall, lightning, strong winds and hail were expected going into the evening

The Met Office has issued an amber warning for thunderstorms in parts of the East of England.

The warning started on Monday afternoon and was set to continue until 19:00 BST.

Heavy rainfall, lightning, strong winds and hail were expected, as well as possible power cuts, it said.

Travel disruption and surface water flooding were also likely, which could cause difficult driving conditions and road closures.

The Met Office said severe weather was likely to affect the region

The Met Office said a cluster of thunderstorms was moving towards the northwest from Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

They could bring heavy rainfall, with 30-40mm falling in about 30 minutes.

Frequent lightning strikes, winds reaching 45mph and large hail stones were likely to accompany the storms, it added.

In the East of England, areas likely to be affected were Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire.