Eight-hour thunderstorm warning issued for Shropshire as sun shines on bank holiday Monday

The Met Office's eight-hour notice begins at 1pm today and runs until 9pm as temperatures in the county reach highs of 18C (64F).

Shropshire is at the southern tip of the warning, that covers swathes of northern England, south west Scotland and parts of north Wales, although forecasts for towns in the county show a dry afternoon.

In their warning, forecasters say: "Thunderstorms and heavy downpours are likely to break out in some places this afternoon and evening. Although not all places will catch these storms and downpours, where they do occur 20 to 40 mm rain may fall in some places in an hour or two."

The Met Office warns that spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures, while it also suggests that could be a "slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost".

The forecast is expected to improve as the week goes on, with temperatures predicted to reach 22C (72F) by Friday.