People in Suffolk and Essex have been warned they could face lashings of heavy rain today, with the region set for thunder and lightning.

Forecasters at the Met Office have said as much as 30mm of rain could fall in the space of just an hour in parts of the East of England.

The warning is in place from 10am to 6pm across the region. Blues skies early this morning are set to make way for heavy and thundery showers which could lead to localised flooding, particularly in urban areas.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning of rain and its chief forecaster said: “Heavy showers are expected to develop early in the day and will likely turn thundery and locally intense.

“Whilst most places will miss the worst, 20mm of rain in an hour is likely in places, with a low risk of more than 30mm locally.”

They warned that lightning could be an additional hazard, with the public advised to take extra care.

Temperatures are due to remain warm though, reaching 23C at 12pm and 1pm.