TRAVEL HELL & HIGH WATER
TWO teenage boys have drowned and one man was last night missing as the end of the summer heatwave caused death and travel chaos across Britain.
The body of a 15-year-old who disappeared after going into the sea on Thursday was found yesterday morning.
The tragic youngster, named as Ben Quartermaine, is thought to have been in the water near Clacton Pier in Essex with a friend, who was later rescued by a lifeboat crew.
Another body was recovered by emergency services searching for a 17-year-old who disappeared at a quarry in Bishops Itchington, Warwickshire.
And cops were still looking for a man who got into difficulties in the River Great Ouse, Bedfordshire, on Friday.
Meanwhile holidaymakers yesterday faced long delays on flights, cross Channel ferries and Eurotunnel trains after overnight thunderstorms brought torrential rain and flash flooding. On one of the busiest weekends of the year for airports, flights from Birmingham, Luton and Stansted were delayed.
There were also cancellations due to thunderstorms in Europe.
Travellers on Eurotunnel faced a third day of misery and disruption after air conditioning problems meant some carriages could not be used.
Families heading for the Continent by ferry faced long queues on the roads into Dover with a minimum two-hour wait to get through border checks.
Last night Eurotunnel said train services between Folkestone and Calais were returning to full capacity after delays of up to four hours.
But problems could continue until today as it was “taking time” to bring carriages affected by air conditioning failures back into service.
On the railways, London North Eastern Railway services were disrupted after a lightning strike damaged signalling equipment in the North East. Some Edinburgh to London Kings Cross trains were also cancelled due to the same problem.
But passengers look set for more misery as rail workers at two companies – South Western Railway and Eurostar – are said to be “solidly supporting” strikes in separate disputes.
Met Office yellow warnings remained in place last night for parts of the UK amid fears that more heavy rain could cause power cuts and flooding. Today thundery showers are forecast across the country with winds up to 50mph in coastal areas. Parts of the Brecon Beacons and Dartmoor could see as much as 60 to 80mm of rain. Hot weather is forecast to return to some areas later in the week. Firefighters have warned people not to put glass objects near windows after a photographer’s studio was totally gutted by a blaze started when sunlight reflected off a mirror. Flames ripped through Alisha Love’s second floor warehouse in minutes – destroying her entire business in Wandsworth, south London. A spokesman for London Fire Brigade said: “Our advice is make sure you keep mirrors, crystals, glass ornaments and other reflective items out of sunlight at all times.” Meanwhile, farmers have warned hot weather could mean British potatoes will be smaller and more expensive in the shops.