A THUNDERSTORM warning remains in force for Dorset – but the worst of the bad weather looks set to miss us. 

The Met Office issued a yellow warning of “thunderstorms and torrential downpours” for the whole of the county including Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

It came into force at 10am this morning and will be in place until around midnight.

The Met Office said as much as 40 to 60mm of rain could fall in as little as two or three hours.

A spokesperson said: “These torrential downpours may be accompanied by frequent lightning, whilst gusty winds and hail may also affect a few places.”

However, according to the Met Office forecast for today, there will be heavy rain at 2pm followed by light rain at 4pm and 5pm before conditions turn dry. 

Giving an update on Thursday morning, Bournemouth-based weather enthusiast Dorset Sun said: “Would be very surprised if we see anything significant this afternoon. Turned overcast far too early this morning.”

Looking ahead for the next few days, the Met Office predicts cloudy conditions on Friday with highs of 18C with sunshine and showers on Saturday and highs of 17C.

Sunday is set to see highs of around 16C with sunny intervals.