THE Met Office has extended its thunderstorm warning to the east of England, warning heavy showers could lead to localised flooding and travel disruption.

Parts of Essex are seeing "lightning, large hail and intense rainfall" at the moment.

The Met Office says these conditions are set to continue for at least the next couple of hours. 

Read more >> Live map shows where lightning strikes are happening across Essex this evening

There are now warnings in place across much of England, including across Essex, until 7pm on Tuesday. 

Here is what the Met Office is warning to expect:

•    Spray and sudden flooding probably leading to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
•    Flooding of homes and businesses is likely and could happen quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds
•    Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, delays and some cancellations to train and bus services are likely
•    Power cuts likely to occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost

Read more:

Essex Fire Service says it is expecting some roads in the county to flood this afternoon.

Drivers have been advised to take extra care and avoid driving through the flood water.

Earlier on Tuesday Essex Weather Centre warning thunderstorms were set to arrive in Essex.

Temperatures have soared in recent days, with aprts of the county seeing highs of 30c plus.

Temperatures are expected to remain in the high 20s across Essex tomorrow, before eventually dropping to around 21c on Friday.

The Met Office has issued its first ever extreme warning in parts of the UK as some places see temperatures rise above 30c.