AN afternoon of thunderstorms are set to hit England's east coast, with flooding, road closures and power cuts possible.

Monday morning's showers will become more "heavy and thundery", with some areas seeing 0.8in-1.2in (20mm-30mm) of rain in an hour, the Met Office said.

A yellow weather warning covering the East Midlands, east England, North-East England and Yorkshire and Humber is in place until 10pm.

The stormy conditions could bring rapid flooding to homes and businesses, forecasters said, with the possibility of damage from floodwater, lightning strikes and hail.

Surface flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and road closures, while other public transport services may be cancelled.

Luke Miall, of the Met Office, said: "We've got some unsettled weather continuing for the next few days.

"Quite a contrast really to what much of this summer has seen across the UK."

Many areas may miss the downpours, which are set to ease by late Monday evening.

Other parts of the country have already felt the effects of the rainy weekend.

In Liverpool, images on social media showed roads awash with flood water, while Merseyside Police said it had received reports of "heavy flooding" from motorists.

Bravissimo in Eldon Garden shopping centre in Newcastle tweeted that it had been forced to close due to flooding.