A Yellow thunderstorm warning has come into force for Torquay and the wider Torbay area through Thursday evening, as the Met Office warns of sudden, gusty winds, frequent lightning, hail, and torrential downpours. The alert runs from 6pm until 11:59pm on 25 June 2026, with impacts described as slightly more likely towards the south coast of Devon and Cornwall.
Forecasters expect scattered thunderstorms to push into the South West after another intensely hot day, carrying the potential for wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph. The Met Office rates the overall impact as medium but stresses that likelihood remains very low, meaning many places will escape the worst of the conditions. A second Yellow thunderstorm warning then takes hold from midnight until 10am on Friday 26 June, extending the risk of overnight disruption.
The sudden shift follows days of extreme heat that saw the region placed under a separate Amber extreme heat warning, with temperatures widely exceeding 30 Celsius. Hot, humid air giving way to cooler conditions has created the atmospheric instability driving the thunderstorm risk. Residents are being urged to prepare for the possibility of flash flooding by preparing a flood plan and assembling an emergency flood kit.
Motorists should drive to the conditions, as standing water and reduced visibility could make evening journeys hazardous. The Met Office advises anyone caught in lightning to seek shelter inside a fully enclosed building rather than under trees or other structures which may be struck. While the risk is concentrated into a few hours, the rapid arrival of heavy rain after the heatwave could catch some off guard.
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