HEAVY rain and thunderstorms will hit Essex on Tuesday afternoon, forecasters have warned.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for rain, valid until 10pm tonight.

Its forecast said: "Heavy showers and thunderstorms will develop across southeastern parts of England this afternoon, lasting into the evening. Whilst some places will miss the heaviest showers, where torrential downpours occur large amounts of rain could fall in a relatively short space of time.

"Please be aware of the potential for localised flooding and disruption to travel."

In some areas, rainfall could be as much as 40mm within the space of two or three hours.

The forecast added: "The heaviest showers are most likely during the mid to late afternoon and early evening, so are likely to coincide with the rush hour."