Sheffield weather: Thunderstorms with sudden downpour forecast this afternoon brought on by weekend heatwave

After days of balmy weather and intense sunshine, South Yorkshire is set for a sharp, intense shower later today (June 12).

The Met Office is predicting a sudden thunderstorm will roll across the Steel City from the east starting at around 2pm. Forecasters say it will initially just see scattered showers with sunshine, before a downpour and thunder hits just before 3pm. Weather maps suggests it will be an extreme 32mm/hour rainstorm at its peak.

Thunderclouds will likely remain until 5pm before clearing away for the night, except for a chance of showers at 7pm.

It might do something to break the heat, as Sheffield will otherwise bask in intense sun all morning, with highs of around 30C in the mid afternoon.

Many parts of England will be similarly hit today, with intense showers and localized thunderstorms across the country with amber flood alerts in Nottingham and Birmingham.