Leeds Met Office weather: Thunderstorm warning issued for city with chance of floods and power cuts

The Met Office has warned there is the chance of flooding, travel disruption and power cuts due to extreme weather.

The amber weather alert was issued at 9.38am and is in place until 1pm.

The Met Office warns: “There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds. Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services.

"Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures. There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost.”

Here is the hour-by-hour Met Office forecast for Leeds on Thursday

12pm – heavy rain – 13C

1pm – heavy rain – 13C

2pm – heavy rain – 13C

3pm – heavy rain – 13C

4pm – heavy rain – 13C

5pm – light rain – 13C

6pm – light rain – 13C

7pm – light rain – 13C

8pm – cloudy – 13C

9pm – partly cloudy (night) – 13C

10pm – partly cloudy (night) – 13C

11pm – partly cloudy (night) – 12C

How to drive safely in rain or flooding

The first thing to do if you’re caught in heavy rain is to slow down and leave more space to the vehicle in front. Stopping distances as much as double in the wet due to a reduction in grip so you need to give yourself more time and space.

Put on your headlights. Heavy rain and spray reduces visibility for all road users. It’s important to put your headlights on not only to aid your vision but also to make your car more visible to other drivers. The Highway Code says you must use your headlights when visibility is less than 100 metres. Be careful about using fog lights, rear fogs can out-shine brake lights due to the glare and reflection from spray.

Be wary of puddles and standing water. What might look like a minor puddle at the side of the road could be hiding a deep pothole or dislodged drain cover that could cause serious damage to your car. Driving through even fairly shallow puddles could also cause aquaplaning, where your tyres’ tread is overwhelmed by the volume of water and they completely lose contact with the road. You’ll feel this as a lightning of the steering.