The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms which covers much of North Essex.

It is forecast to last from 12pm on Friday, September 9 to 7pm on the same day.

The warning area covers most of North Essex, including Colchester, Braintree, Halstead, Great Dunmow, Clacton, Manningtree, Saffron Walden and parts of Chelmsford.

What do weather warnings mean?

Overall, the warning covers much of central and eastern England.

What to expect from a yellow thunderstorm warning

In terms of what to expect, the Met Office said:

  • There is a good chance driving conditions will be affected by spray, standing water and/or hail, leading to longer journey times by car and bus
  • Delays to train services are possible
  • Flooding of a few homes and businesses is possible, potentially leading to some damage to buildings or structures
  • Perhaps damage to a few buildings and structures from lightning strikes, with short-term loss of power and other services possible

In a statement the Met Office said: "Showers will develop fairly widely again by this afternoon, some being heavy with scattered thunderstorms. A few of these may become slow-moving or aligned over one particular place, more likely over the East Midlands and Eastern England. 15-20 mm of rain within an hour in places; one or two spots might see 30-50 mm in around 3 hours, where successive, or slow-moving, showers occur. Frequent lightning is also possible in a few places, along with hail."