THE Met Office has today issued an ‘amber’ weather warning for parts of the West Midlands as thunderstorms and heavy rain continue into the night.

Flash flooding as a result of the downpours could potentially affects homes and businesses in the area with damage to buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail and high winds could also occur.

People are also being warned to expect power cuts and face treacherous driving conditions on the road, along with disruption to public transport services.

Among the areas affected include North Worcestershire and the Black Country.

A ‘yellow’ warning has also been issued for tomorrow morning with thunderstorms set to continue into the early hours.

Dave Throup, from the Environment Agency, tweeted this evening: “Amber warning for rain just issued for parts of Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Birmingham, Staffordshire and Shropshire.

“Some really big storms and dangerous conditions developing. Take extreme care if you’re in the area.”

People are being urged not to travel unless it is an emergency as driving conditions become more hazardous.