THE Met Office has issued a severe weather warning with thunderstorms expected to hit Surrey and Hampshire from Wednesday evening into Thursday.

Many areas will likely miss the worst of the storms, but the Met Office has warned people to be aware of possible localised impacts from “intense thundery downpours, flooding and frequent lightning strikes".

Up to 50mm of rain could fall in a couple of hours, according to a Met Office spokesman.

The Met Office’s chief forecaster said: “Increasingly warm and humid air will arrive from France later on Wednesday, bringing with it an increased risk of thunderstorms.

“At this stage there is still room for error in the north-westward extent of this air mass, and also how widely thunderstorms develop and where. The south east of the warning area is currently considered most at risk.”