UK weather: New thunderstorm warning issued for England and parts of Wales on Sunday as rainy end to Bank Holiday forecast
A weather warning for thunderstorms has been issued for England and parts of Wales on Sunday.
The Met Office yellow warning will be in force from 12pm to 8pm and covers hundreds of miles from Milton Keynes in the south, Norwich in the East, Liverpool in the North West and York in the North.
It also covers Birmingham, Manchester, Hull and Nottingham, as well as areas of northeastern Wales, and could bring between 20mm and 30mm of rain in just a few hours.
“Slow-moving heavy showers and thunderstorms,” will risk difficult driving conditions, homes and businesses being flooded, and lightning strikes, the Met Office said.
This could cause road closures and delays on public transport, the forecaster added.
The Met Office weather warning area on 26 May. Pic: Met Office
Disruptive weather could add to weekend of busy travel
The transport network has already been hit by millions taking to the roads over the bank holiday weekend – and planned rail engineering works.
A Network Rail project has reduced services on the West Coast Main Line due to work around Crewe and Carlisle.
Trains are also being affected by track renewals between Carstairs and Lanark in Scotland, with significant changes to services on the Great Eastern Main Line because of work to build a new station at Beaulieu Park to the east of Chelmsford.
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The worst travel day of the weekend was Friday, however, when the start of the long weekend coincided with the half-term break for many schools.
Trains were forced to run at reduced speed between Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton that day after thieves tried to steal signalling cables.
Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, London Northwestern Railway, Transport for Wales and West Midlands Railway passengers suffered delays until the damaged wires were repaired, Network Rail said.
Aviation analytics company Cirium said Friday was the busiest day of the year for UK airports since October 2019, with more than 3,150 departing flights.
Around 8,486 flights were scheduled to take to the skies between Saturday and Monday, with the most popular destinations for UK departures being Dublin, Amsterdam, Palma, Alicante and Malaga.
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Further showers likely on Bank Holiday Monday
Sky News weather producer Joanna Robinson said of the weekend’s conditions: “Rain will turn increasingly patchy on Sunday as it moves northwards, with heavy showers developing from the south. They’ll bring the risk of hail and thunder, with localised flooding possible.
“Bank Holiday Monday will bring further showers, some thundery, but western parts will turn drier later on.
“It’s worth keeping an eye on the forecast, as short-notice thunderstorm warnings may be issued on Sunday and Monday.
“Daytime temperatures will be around average, but it should feel warm in any sunshine.”
Met Office forecaster Craig Snell added: “Overall, it’s a pretty mixed picture, Saturday’s probably the best of the bunch, but there will still be some sunshine around on Sunday and Monday, but we’ll certainly be dodging downpours.
“Watch out for some thunderstorms especially across parts of northern and central England and northeast Wales too.”
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq over allegations she lived in properties linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh.
It comes after the current Bangladeshi leader, Muhammad Yunus, said London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be investigated.
He told the Sunday Times the properties should be handed back to his government if they were acquired through “plain robbery”.
Tory leader Ms Badenoch said: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiq.
“He appointed his personal friend as anti-corruption minister and she is accused herself of corruption.
“Now the government of Bangladesh is raising serious concerns about her links to the regime of Sheikh Hasina.”
Ms Siddiq insists she has “done nothing wrong”.
Her aunt was ousted from office in August following an uprising against her 20-year leadership and fled to India.
Ms Siddiq is also named with her aunt in Bangladesh court documents about meetings with the Russian government.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir to sack the minister
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As economic secretary to the Treasury, Ms Siddiq is responsible for policy on both the City and tackling corruption.
She referred herself to the prime minister’s ethics watchdog on Monday following the reports about the properties.
On the same day, the prime minister said: “Tulip Siddiq has acted entirely properly by referring herself to the independent adviser, as she’s now done, and that’s why we brought into being the new code.
“It’s to allow ministers to ask the adviser to establish the facts, and yes, I’ve got confidence in her, and that’s the process that will now be happening.”
Police in Aberdeen have widened the search area for two sisters who disappeared four days ago in the city.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV on Market Street after leaving their home on Tuesday at around 2.12am.
The sisters – who are part of a set of triplets and originally from Hungary – crossed the Victoria Bridge to the Torry area and turned right on to a footpath next to the River Dee.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti were last seen on CCTV in Market Street. Pic: Police Scotland/PA
They headed in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club but officers said there is no evidence to suggest the missing women left the immediate area.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and a marine unit have been trying to trace the pair.
The sisters crossed Victoria Bridge before walking along a footpath next to the River Dee
The pair were heading in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club on the south side of the River Dee
Further searches are being carried out towards the Port of Aberdeen’s South Harbour and Duthie Park.
Police Scotland said it is liaising with authorities in Hungary to support the relatives of the two sisters.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Eliza and Henrietta’s family are understandably extremely worried about them and we are working tirelessly to find them.
“We are seriously concerned about them and have significant resources dedicated to the inquiry.”
The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Officers have requested businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review their CCTV footage for the early morning of Tuesday 7 January.
Police added they are keen to hear from anyone with dashcam footage from that time.
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