A SECOND wave of thunderstorms is forecast to hit the South East on Thursday afternoon and evening.

Surrey and Hampshire was hit by torrential rain, thunder and lightning last night, flooding many roads and causing disruption on the Alton to Waterloo train line on Thursday morning.

With further storms expected today, the Met Office has upgraded a severe weather warning to amber, warning of possible disruption to travel and localised flooding as well as frequent lightning.

The Met Office chief forecaster said: "Whether these storms are as severe as those of last night is, at this stage, uncertain, but in view of storms being expected during the afternoon and evening impacts may be as widespread as those of last night and first thing this morning.”