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A rain warning covering the south-east of England has been issued.

The Met Office has put out a yellow warning for "heavy showers" between 21:00 BST on Wednesday and 09:00 on Thursday.

Officials warned of sudden flooding, lightning strikes and power cuts.

East Sussex, West Sussex, Kent and Surrey would be affected, the Met Office said.

“While there is some uncertainty, and not all areas will be affected, scattered heavy showers on Wednesday evening may merge into longer spells of heavy, showery rain in places through Wednesday night into Thursday morning,” a Met Office spokesman said.

“Where heavy downpours occur, perhaps thundery in places, accumulations of 20 to 40mm are possible in an hour or two.”

There is also a small chance of isolated accumulations of more than 50mm, the spokesman adds.

The Met Office also warned that there was a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.

“There is a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life,” it said.

Officials warned that delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport were possible.

Despite the warning, the south-east of England is also forecast to enjoy the highest temperature this week of 27C on Friday.

Oli Claydon, of the Met Office, said temperatures are currently “around average” for this time of year.

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