As much of the country bakes in sweltering 40C heat, hundreds of homes in the West Country are without power as thunder and lightning wreak havoc.
Torrential downpours could cause disruption in Dorset with potential with a high chance of flooding, the Met Office has warned.
A yellow alert for thunderstorms has been issued for Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and the rest of Dorset.
As much as 40mm to 60mm of rain could fall in two to three hours with the chance of “frequent” lightning and gusty winds. There is also potential for hail.
The warning will be in force from 10am on Thursday until around midnight.
A Met Office spokesperson said: “Thunderstorms are likely to break out in some areas, particularly during the afternoon and early evening.
“While most places will probably miss them, where thunderstorms do occur there is a chance that in a few places up to 40 mm of rain could fall in an hour or so and 40 to 60 mm could fall in two or three hours.
“These torrential downpours may be accompanied by frequent lightning, whilst gusty winds and hail may also affect a few places.
“The exact location of the thunderstorms will be hard to pinpoint, so the warning area will be kept under review and updated if necessary.”