Residents in Swindon and Wiltshire have been warned of the risk of tornadoes on Thursday.

The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO) has issued the warning from 1am until 4pm for today (Thursday, February 22).

Forecasters have warned of isolated brief tornadoes, wind gusts between 55 and 60 miles per hour, hail and isolated cloud-to-ground lightning.

Severe thunderstorms are expected to hit the south England, south Wales, parts of the Midlands, East Anglia and the Channel Islands.

A spokesperson for TORRO wrote: “Overnight, parts of Wales will have one or two lines of showery rain, and then later tonight and on Thursday, another area of showery rain, with lines/possible cells, will cross parts of central and southern England.

“Both of these sets of showery rain may bring squally gusts, and the small chance of one or two brief tornadoes - the highest chance of gusts and isolated tornadoes appears to be over parts of Central Southern England, the SE Midlands, E Anglia, and SE England later on Thursday morning and into Thursday afternoon.”

A yellow weather warning for rain has also been issued for Wiltshire and Swindon by the Met Office, which expires at 6pm.