A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms had been issued for parts of Essex this afternoon. 

The warning covers Colchester, Tendring, Braintree and Halstead. 

It will be in force from 2pm ton 8pm tonight. 

The Met Office says most areas will escape the worst, but a few heavy showers and thunderstorms may lead to localised travel disruption and flooding.

The warning says to expect:

  • Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
  • Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services
  • There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater or lightning strikes

Read more >> Met Office forecast: Warm but gloomy weekend outlook for Essex

Forecasts for Colchester, Tendring, Braintree and Halstead show the areas are likely to avoid prolonged rain and bad weather. 

The change in weather comes after a mini heatwave in Essex earlier this week, with some areas seeing temperatures hitting the late 20s.

The current warm weather follows the official end of summer, from a meteorological point of view, which is considered to be August 31.