CHESHIRE residents should brace themselves for heavy rain and thunderstorms over the weekend.

This is the view of the Met Office, which has issued a yellow weather warning for heavy rain and thunder in the area.

The warning will be in place for the entirety of Saturday and Sunday for half of the UK, including Cheshire.

It follows the UK's first ever amber warning for extreme heat, which was issued by the Met Office earlier this week.

Forecasters say there is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, and that there is a slight chance of power cuts and loss of other services.

Runcorn and Widnes World:

The weather could also cause delays or cancellations to train and bus services, while spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.

A Met Office spokesman said: “Outbreaks of rain and some thunderstorms are expected to spread from the south west on Friday night, this introducing unsettled conditions to much of England and Wales for Saturday and Sunday.

“Heavy, thundery showers are likely to break out by day, particularly on Sunday when these could be widespread and locally torrential.

“Lightning and hail are also expected.

“Rainfall amounts will vary from place to place, but there is the potential for up to 100mm to build up in some locations over the course of the weekend, much of which could fall in a short period of time.”