Storms bring mini hot spell to thundering end

IN true British style, thunderstorms put a sudden dampener yesterday on the hottest day of the year so far.

Brollies replaced lollies as heavy downpours and lightning brought the all too brief warm spell to a dramatic end.

The Met Office even issued ‘danger to life’ yellow alerts as the West of England was deluged by bands of heavy rain.

Parts of the North West started to see storms too yesterday evening, with the downpour spreading across Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland overnight into today. By tomorrow, this band of rain is expected to move, covering the Midlands and soaking the South East.

The forecaster cautioned that poor conditions could lead to flooding, lightning strikes, hail and strong winds, warning Scots: ‘There is a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life.’

Up until yesterday evening, Britons’ moods had been temporarily lifted by an extraordinary few days of sunshine, including spectacular sightings of the Northern Lights on Friday night.

Yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far, with 27.2C (81F) logged in Chertsey, Surrey, topping Saturday’s previous record of 2 .9C (78.62F) in Herstmonceux, East Sussex – following three days of temperatures above 24C (7 .2F).

But don’t pack away your shorts and flip-flops just yet, as while the heavy showers are set to persist today, they are due to dry up in the coming days – with unsettled conditions in parts before the sunshine makes a welcome return.

The spectacular hues of greens and purples that lit up the UK skies were due to a geomagnetic storm.