"FREQUENT lightning" and heavy rain could be on the cards today, the Met Office has warned.

A yellow weather alert has been issued for the whole of Dorset, including Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

The warning is in force now and will be in place until 7pm on Saturday evening.

The Met Office says an “area of storms producing lightning may lead to disruption in the coming hours”.

A spokesperson said: “An area of storms is expected to move northeastwards across southwest and into southern England Saturday afternoon.

“These may bring frequent lightning to sites for a short period of time before they clear to the northeast.

“A brief period of heavy rain is also likely but given the speed of movement lightning is thought more likely to be a hazard.

“The most frequent lightning is likely to be in parts of Cornwall and Devon.”

In terms of what to expect, the Met Office said some short term loss of power or other utility services is possible.

There could also possibly be damage to some buildings or structures.

Earlier today, Bournemouth-based weather enthusiast Bournemouth & Poole Weather said thunderstorms would be possible “at almost any point through to about 7pm”.

The warning comes a day after the hottest day of the year so far.

Temperatures of around 28C were recorded along the Dorset coast.

BCP Council said around 55,000 people flocked to beaches across the conurbation on Friday to make the most of the hot spell.

Earlier this month, a huge thunderstorm lit up the skies over Dorset during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee weekend causing flash flooding in parts of the the county