A man and a 12-year-old child have been killed in France after sweltering heat was brought to an abrupt end by fierce storms which saw 39,000 lightning bolts flash across the sky
Two people including a child have been killed with 17 left injured after torrential storms battered parts of France.
Trees were toppled as streets and train stations were flooded in Paris, causing Parliament’s roof to spring a leak as the Prime Minister was addressing the nation. High winds sent residents running for cover as 39,000 lightning bolts flashed as days of sweltering heat were brought to an abrupt end.
A falling tree killed a 12-year-old child in south-west France and a man died when his quad bike hit a toppled tree in the north west of the country, French media report. The nation’s civil defence agency said one person was critically injured in the storm, which swept France after a heatwave.
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The agency said power was also cut to 110,000 homes. The assembly vice president Roland Lescure suspended the debate so fire officers could check out the problem. When he restarted the session about 15 minutes later, Mr Lescure told legislators that absorbent mats were used to patch up the leak.
“Have you noticed that it was raining?” Prime Minister Francois Bayrou pointed out, looking up at the National Assembly’s leaking domed ceiling after delivering a speech on the Middle East as a deluge fell outside, quickly inundating Paris boulevards on Wednesday evening.
Significant rain could fall in the north and west of the country in the coming hours, the Met Office has warned. More extreme heat is expected across Europe over the weekend and into next week.
Brits in south-east England have been told to prepare for “lightning, hail, and heavy rain” today, before storms clear later. Met Office forecaster Paul Gundersen said: “Elsewhere through Thursday, rain will move eastwards across the UK, clearing to showers, with some sunny spells breaking through at times.
“Friday will start dry in the east, with rain moving in from the west, becoming showery later.” Daytime temperatures following the storms will be around the 20C mark for most of the UK, around 10C cooler than the last few days. It was 28.2C in Wisley, Surrey, and 27.8C in Chelmsford, Essex yesterday.
But the thunderstorms are as a result of the next burst of heat expected over the weekend and on Monday, meteorologists say. This warm air will come into contact – and underneath – much cooler air and so clouds and rain will form.
The thunderstorms throughout Wednesday and Thursday will be brief and pass to the northeast. In the short period, around 20mm of rain is expected across Cheshire and Staffordshire, and 10mm is likely across south Wales.
However, once the low pressure sweeps northeast, the rest of the week will be more settled. Highs of 27C could be on the cards across the East of England on Friday July 4, and it may be even warmer on Saturday July 5 across the Southeast of England.