Britain hit by flash floods

BRITAIN’S west midlands were hit by flash floods yesterday as the heatwave which has engulfed the country once again turned to torrential downpours.

Rain fell at a rate of 1.5in every hour in the city of Gloucester from mid-afternoon.

Wiltshire, Sussex, Surrey, Berkshire and west London have also experienced torrential rain, and showers are set to sweep across most of Britain from the north-east of France this evening.

On Tuesday, 14-year-old Joseph Wharton from Bloxwich, West Midlands, was struck by lightning and killed as severe thunderstorms battered Britain.

They also caused chaos across London as flash floods closed Underground stations and main roads and there were reports of hail stones cracking windows in Hammersmith.

The BBC was forced to move the filming of Newsnight after the ground floor at Television Centre was flooded.

“The storms will continue for a time this evening but they should ease away after midnight and tomorrow looks like being a bright day,” said weather forecaster Paul Mott.