The British summer strikes back

THOUSANDS of rail passengers were stranded yesterday as electrical storms brought the heatwave to a dramatic end and lightning knocked out signals.

Temperatures peaked at 94F (34.7C) in Norfolk, three degrees shy of the predicted all-time record, and the sudden turn to clouds and heavy rain ruined many people’s hopes of seeing last night’s lunar eclipse.

Eurotunnel services were also hit by the weather and on the roads, motorists were warned of lightning, flash flooding and large hailstones.

London North Eastern Railway warned passengers not to attempt journeys between London, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Sheffield, Leeds, York and Doncaster after a signal box was hit by lightning at York, bringing trains to a standstill. British Transport Police said

A couple and their baby take shelter from the rain under an umbrella in Chelsea as the heat turned to summer storms in London