Yellow weather warning for much of the South West
The Met Office warning covers much of the West Country
A weather warning for heavy rain has been issued for most of South West England, with up to 50mm of rainfall possible in two hours in the worst affected areas.
The Met Office yellow warning in place from 9pm Wednesday to 9am Thursday covers all of south-east England and as far west as Taunton in Somerset, and Cardiff.
Birmingham, Peterborough and Norwich are also within the warning zone.
Spray and sudden flooding on roads could lead to difficult driving conditions and possible road closures, the forecaster warned, and there is a chance public transport may be disrupted.
The Met Office said there is a small chance homes and businesses could flood quickly and buildings could be damaged by floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.
Heavy rain may impact commuter journeys on Thursday morning, the forecaster added.