One house collapsed and others went up in flames after violent thunderstorms battered the UK yesterday, causing flash flooding.
The three-storey Victorian building, which was unoccupied at the time, partially collapsed in the middle of the street in Chorlton, south Manchester, with firefighters seen checking houses on either side.
Meanwhile, an entire street in Milnrow, Rochdale, was flooded after the River Beal burst its banks, and local councillor Andy Kelly said it was the ‘worst flood he had seen in 20 years’.
Forecasters said up to 50mm of rain would fall in two to three hours over yesterday evening, while the same storm is set to ravage the South today.
The violent weather will reach Portsmouth, Oxford and as far east as Lincoln today – with heavy rain at first, before thundery showers strike.
The North will also see heavy rain today – though it is expected to avoid a repeat of yesterday’s destructive storms.
The tempest could cause havoc for homeowners and businesses and comes just days before a heatwave is set to sweep in, with temperatures set to hit 82F (28C) by next Wednesday.
A house on Stockton Street in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, south Manchester that collapsed overnight due to the severe rain and thunderstorms that hit the North West
No one was injured after the building collapsed following the violent storms, however the damage amount is yet to be calculated
A composite photo captured over the course of two hours by Mark Humpage as an intense electrical storm passed over the East Midlands last night
An incredible lightning strike lit up the skies of Staffordshire last night as the UK was hit by violent storms. Stunning pictures clearly show a bolt of lightning over Winshill and Burton upon Trent at around 9.30pm on Tuesday night
Thunderstorms surged across most of Britain yesterday and will continue to do so today (left), with the South set to be ravaged. They are expected to face by tomorrow (right), though parts of the country are still at risk of thunderstorms
Lightning strikes above Liverpool on Tuesday evening as violent thunderstorms swept across the north of England and Scotland, causing flash flooding in places
The lightning map over the East Midlands when Mark Humpage captured an intense electrical storm in an amazing composite photo
In Yorkshire, incredible pictures captured a tornado-like funnel cloud as it made its way through the region on Monday
Thunder and lightning spotted over Leicestershire last night as the stormy weather swept across the UK yesterday evening
Lightning cracks in Manchester last night, with the city struck by violent thunderstorms throughout Tuesday evening
Discussing the collapsed house in Manchester, one resident said: ‘Initially I heard a loud noise that we thought was lightning.
‘We looked out of the window and there was what looked like smoke filling the street, made more apparent when it drifted past a street lamp. Then there was a flash, and the next thing the whole chimney stack started to move towards the house next door, almost in slow motion at first.
‘And then the majority of the house just seemed to disappear, and the noise was awful.
‘Dust clouded the street and the air was thick with it. We ran outside to check if it was an empty house, which it appears to be. Fire service were on scene within about 10 minutes and have cordoned off the street.’
Meanwhile, more than 20 firefighters were called to a house in the Millhouses area of Sheffield on Tuesday evening after it was struck by lightning, though nobody was hurt.
The strike happened as a storm moved across the city, bringing a dramatic lightning display and bursts of heavy rain.
Similar storms brought flash flooding to the North West of England, leaving roads and shops submerged.
In Merseyside, a house in the Wirral was set ablaze after being struck by lightning during yesterday’s chaotic storms.
It is believed that a fork of lightning hit the house causing the fire but it is not yet clear whether anyone was inside at the time of the incident.
Extensive damage was caused to the roof of the property and an attached garage.
Thunderstorms hit parts of Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, causing police to urge drivers to drop their speed following reports of traffic collisions.
Pictures of lightning across the region were shared on social media, along with videos of heavy rainfall.
Some roads were also closed as drivers reported spray and sudden flooding, which led to difficult driving conditions.
North West Motorway Police tweeted: ‘Numerous reports being received across the region of flash flooding, resulting in collisions.
A car attempts to pass a heavily-flooded road under a railway bridge in Levenshulme, Greater Manchester, after flash flooding
Cars ploughed through flood water in Birmingham as the torrential rain continued to fall across multiple parts of the country
Two women run for cover from the rain in Manchester city centre as a huge weather front started moving in yesterday
In Birmingham, a cyclist was seen riding his bike with an umbrella keeping him dry as the rain pounded down
Bizarre footage showed a car park in Crownpoint shopping Centre in North Denton, Greater Manchester, so severely flooded that a child was able to swim in the knee-high water
‘Please if out and about, drive to the road conditions, drop your speeds.’
Cheshire Police tweeted: ‘Be careful if you’re out and about this evening, thunderstorms are likely to affect road conditions across Cheshire.
‘You can keep yourself and others safe by slowing down, keeping a greater distance between yourself & the vehicle in front, using headlights as visibility drops.’
Parts of Scotland were also affected by the wet weather, which first struck overnight on Monday.
A junction in Stourbridge was packed with vehicles after a car was abandoned in the midst of flash flooding in the area
The tarmac on a road in Greater Manchester was covered in water after flash flooding caused chaos across the area
Water erupts from the tyres of a car attempting to navigate a junction in Stourbridge, West Midlands, amid flash flooding yesterday
There is also a yellow weather warning for rain and flooding for the south coast on Thursday as other parts of the country clear up
Furniture shop owner is left ‘devastated’ after store was flooded
On the first full day of trading in almost three months Philip Holt’s carpet shop was completely flooded. The River Beal rose rapidly on Monday evening and flooded the whole of Dale Street in Milnrow, Rochdale. The devastated shop owner said previous floods had cost him £10,000 as he is unable to get his shop, Carpet Creations, insured because it is in a flood area.
Pictured: s Philip Holt’s carpet shop completely flooded on Dale Street in Milnrow, Rochdale after the the River Beal rose rapidly on Monday evening
‘This can’t carry on – it is the fifth flood in five years since the Boxing Day floods in 2015,’ Philip told the BBC. Milnrow and Newhey councillor Andy Kelly said the flood was one of the worst and quickest she had seen.
She said the frequent flooding of the River Beal is caused by climate change that is made worse by old Victorian sewers. Although lots of money had been spent by the council on clearing the old drains Andy Kelly said it had not worked. Philip employs six staff members who will help him fix the damage to his shop to reopen on Wednesday. But Philip said he cannot keep putting all of his money back into the store whenever there is a flood. Philip feels his community is forgotten about because they are ‘just a little village’.
Manchester was hit by downpours which will lasted until 6am today, with between 40mm and 50mm of rain expected to fall in just two hours in some areas, according to the MEN.
Flash flooding also caused widespread disruption on major roads – with lanes closed on the M60, M62, and the M602.
Bizarre footage showed a car park in Crownpoint shopping Centre in North Denton, Greater Manchester, so flooded a child was able to swim in the knee-high water.
Elsewhere, a Costco in the city was evacuated after water poured in through the ceiling and showered down onto the aisles.
In Yorkshire, incredible pictures captured a tornado-like funnel cloud as it made its way through the region. It was first spotted Monday afternoon.
Storms will gradually subside by Thursday but the south coast will be hit by slow-moving heavy showers which may lead to further flooding.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Neil Armstrong said: ‘Although some places will miss these heavy showers and thunderstorms, where they do occur they’ll be quite lively bringing torrential downpours with 25 to 35mm rain falling in an hour and a few places seeing perhaps 40 to 50mm rain in a couple of hours.
‘With this heavy rain falling in a short time we could see some disruption to transport or damage to properties due to localised flooding, as well as the chance of lightning and hail.’
Looking ahead to the weekend, Deputy Chief Meteorologist Martin Young said: ‘As winds swing to the southwest over the weekend it’ll turn fresher and breezier and east coastal areas should lose the low cloud and mist, feeling warmer here as a result.
‘On Saturday we’ll see a spell of rain moving across the UK from the west, but most can expect a drier day on Sunday.’
He added: ‘There are signs of a spell of warm and settled weather across southern parts of the UK next, with temperatures quite widely reaching mid-20s Celsius. It’ll be unsettled across north-western areas with temperatures closer to average.’
A car drove through flooding in Stourbridge as severe rainfall caused flash flooding in various areas across the country yesterday
A huge amount of water was seen flooding a junction in Stourbridge after the area saw heavy rainfall yesterday afternoon
Elsewhere, a Costco in the city was evacuated after water poured in through the ceiling and showered down onto the aisles leaving staff forced to use umbrellas (left) and use towels to soak it up (right)
Flooding was so bad in Stourbridge that water sloshed against the side of the pavement as sudden flooding caused chaos
A bike tentatively makes its way along a flooded road in Stourbridge after the heavy rainfall leaves the junction looking like a body of water
Cars struggled to get across a water-soaked junction in Greater Manchester after sudden rainfall caused flash flooding
The water that flooded a junction in Greater Manchester reached the bonnet of some of the cars battling to get past as rainfall caused chaos
Shoppers in Manchester run for cover into the Arndale shopping centre as a massive downpour hit the city centre yesterday
Motorists drive through heavy surface water during a thunderstorm in Builth Wells, Powys, on Tuesday
Left: Two men carry shopping with their umbrella up and masks on in Manchester. Right: One person enjoys the shower in the city centre
A small tornado swirled across the Yorkshire Dales Monday after forming in the Lake District. The funnel cloud was seen passing over Ingleborough Common and photographed by stunned locals.
The phenomenon forms when condensed water droplets from a cloud are mixed with a rotating column of wind. They are often produced when supercell thunderstorms are in the air and can be followed by tornadoes.
Fierce thunder and torrential rain yesterday caused an Asda supermarket to be evacuated as a ceiling cam crashing to the floor in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.
Roof tiles caved in at the store in the town centre and shoppers fled to safety. Dale Shore, who recorded the shocking scenes, told the MEN he had ‘never seen anything like it’.
The 35-year-old was shopping with his partner and her three-year-old son when water began gushing through the roof.
He said: ‘It was like something out of a film. It was crazy. We were on one of the aisles and I heard this water. It was coming through the roof, then the next thing we knew everything was falling in.
‘There were tiles falling down everywhere. It was mental. The security guard told us to follow him, but then a bit of the ceiling fell down and nearly hit him on the head. It just missed him.
‘The tiles were falling down everywhere so the security guard put us in a back room, but then the water was seeping under the door and the boy started panicking so we just made a dash for it. We literally ran out of the store. I’ve never seen anything like it. I couldn’t believe my eyes.’