All over in a f lash! Storms end summer
LIGHTNING storms have brought our heatwave summer crashing to an end, with more than 36,000 strikes across Britain in just 12 hours.
In Portsmouth, the aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince Of Wales were thrown into stark relief as lightning lit up the skies in the early hours yesterday.
Elsewhere, a neighbour’s doorcam showed the moment a newly built house was struck by a bolt of lightning in Redruth, Cornwall.
Although summer doesn’t officially end until September 23, the Met Office warned that more storms and downpours were on their way.
In fact, almost as much rain was predicted to fall in just a few hours last night as had fallen all summer so far.
Forecasters said some areas faced ‘torrential rain’ of more than an inch (30mm) in one hour and more than three inches (80mm) in three hours.
By contrast, just four inches (103mm) fell in the whole of June, July and August.
The Met Office said: ‘ Additional hazards include frequent lightning, hail and gusty winds, particularly during the evening. Flooding of homes and businesses is likely, leading to some damage.’
Lightning strikes and high winds could also damage
property, and there could be ‘short-term loss of power’. Despite the driest summer since 1995, forecasters predicted the wet weather may continue until the middle of the month.
They issued a warning covering a large part of England from Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Derbyshire westwards, and the eastern half of Wales, between 2pm yesterday and 2am today. The Met Office predicted ‘lines of thunderstorms’ would develop before moving north this morning.
After a mostly dry start today, more thundery showers are expected across much of England and Wales. It is
due to stay warm, with the highest temperatures likely in Norfolk, of up to 24C (75F). Meanwhile, Lincolnshire and parts of Yorkshire are expected to reach 23C (73F).
The Met Office said the weather was likely to ‘remain unsettled with showers – locally heavy – hail and thunder also likely’ until Friday.
Meteorologist Alex Deakin said: ‘By Thursday, low pressure is moving in across the UK. It could be quite windy across the South-West on Wednesday night.
‘But as this low moves in we could see the showers become more slow moving so they last longer and could drop more rain.’