THE Met Office has issued storm warnings – saying that some areas of the UK can expect lightning strikes, torrential downpours and flooding.

The weather service provider issued a total of nine yellow weather warnings across the UK for thunderstorms.

The forecaster said it could cause travel disruption and flooding.

The warnings, which come into force from midnight on Saturday, June 4, are in place until 6pm on Sunday, June 5.

"Thunderstorms and areas of rain are expected to develop over parts of England and Wales during the early hours of Sunday,” a Met Office spokesman said.

"Torrential downpours are likely in a few places with parts of the Midlands, East Anglia and south east England most at risk.

"Some places could see 15 to 20mm in an hour, and perhaps up to 50mm before storms fade, and hail may affect a few spots.

"These thunderstorms will slowly spread into southern parts of northern England on Sunday morning before easing.

"Further south, drier conditions briefly develop on Sunday morning before further showers and thunderstorms develop over some parts of southern England, Wales, the Midlands and East Anglia later.

"These may give some heavy downpours with a further 10 to 20mm possible in some places."

In Brighton and Hove, Saturday will see a cloudy morning with a continued risk of showers moving north, perhaps turning “heavy and thundery”.

The cloud should break to leave a brighter afternoon with some sunny spells, though there remains a chance of isolated showers. There is an expected maximum temperature of 22C.

Into the evening, it is expected to turn cloudy. Slow moving heavy rain with thundery downpours moving up from the south again overnight are expected, with a minimum temperature of 10C.

On Sunday, it will be a cloudy start as a band of persistent heavy and occasionally thundery rain makes slow northward progress.

Some brighter spells are expected later as rain clears north, though outbreaks of patchy rain remaining. There is an expected maximum temperature  of 19C.