Tornado could batter parts of England, Met Office warns
21 May 2025, 17:38 | Updated: 22 May 2025, 13:59
A Met Office meteorologist has warned that a "funnel cloud" and "maybe even a brief tornado" could hit parts of South East England, as heavy rain is forecasted for later today after an exceptionally dry spring.
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Alex Burkill, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said southern areas may also experience thunder, lightning, and hail, following the driest start to spring in six decades.
Burkill said it was "not out of the question that we could see a funnel cloud, maybe even a brief tornado across parts of the South East."
He said there was a "North-South" split in the UK's weather today, with "Northern parts having a lot of fine, sunny weather, meanwhile in the South we've seen some wet weather push its way in."
The weather is set to worsen, with "further showery bursts to come as we go through the rest of today."
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The rain follows a long period of dry weather as the UK experienced the driest start to spring since 1956.
As of Friday, 80.6mm of rain had been recorded in spring 2025, nearly 20mm less than was recorded in the UK's driest ever spring in 1852, when 100.7mm of rain was recorded over the full season.
The Environment Agency has warned that the dry spring could contribute to drought this summer if there continues to be long periods without any rainfall.
Water companies said they do not expect to introduce restrictions, such as hosepipe bans, in 2025, though Thames Water warned that more dry weather "could be challenging" for water supplies.
Farmers have warned the exceptionally dry spring weather could lead to reduced yields during harvest season.
The weather is set to turn dry again on Thursday, with some showers forecasted in the South West of England.
Burkill said these showers will be less intense than those expected later today, and there will be "a good amount of sunshine on offer" elsewhere.
Friday is expected to be "mostly fine", although the weather is likely to become wet and windy again at the weekend.
Burkill said this week's rainy conditions are a "real change from what we've become used to so far this spring."
