A house was reportedly struck by lighting amid downpours from Storm Boris, leaving others on the street having to be evacuated too.
Telling how they heard a ‘massive bang’, one person said: ‘We’d only just got home. It was about 5.30pm. A car stopped outside and the driver shouted that the roof was on fire.
‘I think about four homes, including ours, were evacuated. We’ve all been sat in one of the neighbours’ houses.’
Police and firefighters have cordoned off part of Bambury Street last night after the lightning strike, with police cars and a fire engine at the scene.
Stoke-on-Trent has been badly hit with heavy downpours, with roads flooded, homes left without power, and water supplies hit elsewhere in the city.
It comes as the Met Office extended a yellow and amber rain warning for much of England and Monday, with Britain already soaking under a rainy weekend.
Sunday was set to see more heavy outbreaks of rain moving northwards across southern England and much of Wales, with thunder expected at times, but drier weather in the north and sunnier spells in the west.
(Picture: Amer Ghazzal/Shutterstock)
Discussing the weather warning, which is in place all day on Monday, the Met Office said: ‘Areas of of heavy rain are expected to affect many parts of England and Wales during Monday.
‘There is still some uncertainty regarding which areas will be affected by the heaviest rain, but at this stage parts of the Midlands, north east England and east Wales look most likely to see the greatest accumulations.
‘However, anywhere within the warning area could have impactful rainfall through the course of Monday.
There is potential that 30-50mm could develop in any part of the warning area, much of which could fall in six hours or less.
‘Some locations could see 80-100mm over the course of 12 to 24 hours.’
Calmer weather can be expected on Tuesday, though a few showers are possible.
Areas of heavy rain bring the ‘potential for disruption’, the Met Office says, with spray and flooding which could lead to difficult driving conditions.
The forecasters also warn there’s a small chance that some rural communities could be cut off by flooded roads – and some homes and businesses could flood, damaging buildings.
There’s a small chance of power cuts and loss of services.
But don’t expect the situation to return to the warmth and sunshine we’ve been seeing this week, as the unsettled conditions are set to turn into a September chill.
(Credits: Matthew Chattle/Shutterstock)
The Met Office warns that the high pressure which brought us our recent spell of warm and calm weather will be moving northward this weekend, bringing heavy showers and thunderstorms across more southern areas of the UK.
The yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms and rain cover most of Wales and parts of southern and western England throughout Saturday and Sunday.
But once those thunderstorms ease, we’ll be seeing a drop off in temperatures.
Discussing the upcoming wet weekend, chief meteorologist Jason Kelly said: ‘Thundery downpours have developed across parts of southern England, and will last into Friday evening, bringing frequent lightning, gusty winds, hail, and spells of heavy rain.
‘The risk of thunderstorms persists into the weekend with potentially longer spells of heavy rain for some along with a continued risk of hail and lightning accompanying the most intense storms.
‘Parts of the midlands, southern England and east Wales appear at greatest risk of seeing these conditions.
‘The warnings cover the areas of the country most at risk of seeing thunderstorms but not everyone within a warning area will experience a thunderstorm. For many, much of the time it will remain dry.’
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