Lightning strikes bring West Midlands travel chaos

It struck in Stechford, Birmingham, causing 45 minute delays on services through on the West Coast Mainline going through Smethwick, Wolverhampton and Birmingham.

Downpours led to flooding in parts of the region, causing difficulty for drivers on the roads during rush hour today.

Among the roads affected was the A449 in Wolverhampton, while drivers also faced problems on the M6 between Junction 13 for Stafford and 14 for Stone.

The inside lane of the M6 between Junction 13 for Stafford and Junction 14 for Stone had to be closed off for more than an hour after it was one of the routes hit in the downpours, which started in the early hours of this morning.

Residents around the region were woken as a thunderstorm passed over the area at around 4am and trains between Birmingham International and Birmingham New Street were delayed as a result of a lightning strike.

And as commuters set out to work during the morning rush-hour it appeared they were leaving their homes in the middle of the night as dark storm clouds gathered overhead.

Among the main roads affected was the A449 through Wolverhampton. Hold-ups were also reported on the route at Himley where the traffic lights were out for more than an hour.

• Storms hit West Midlands - Your pictures and video

Large pools of water formed along Stallings Lane, Moss Grove and Market Street, in Kingswinford, at around 7.45am today.

The A41 heading out of Wolverhampton near to Perton was also hit with flood water making it difficult for motorists to pass.

Trains in Stafford also faced hold-ups after a lightning strike at Manchester Picadilly. The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for the Midlands due to the expected rainfall which has come just a day after temperatures of 33C (91F) were recorded in London – the hottest day in the UK since 2006.

Forecasters say temperatures will now begin to drop.

Brendan Jones of MeteoGroup, said: "In the last few weeks an area of high pressure has hung over the UK creating settled, very hot conditions. But now air is pushing in from the Atlantic and meeting this humid air, and the combination is causing these strong and violent storms that will last on and off throughout the day and linger into Wednesday.

"The main threat is of flash flooding from localised but torrential rain, especially as the ground is so dry and solid it will not soak up the water very easily.

Travel and traffic updates:

Temperatures in the Midlands are set to peak at 24C (75F) today and rain is expected to continue falling throughout the week. By Saturday temperatures will have dropped to 22C (71F) in the region.

The hot weather has taken its toll on the area in recent weeks.

The number of grass fires started deliberately in Staffordshire has rocketed by 200 per cent.

Meanwhile, West Midlands Fire Service today warned drivers to be careful in standing water and said they expect heavy downpours and flash flooding throughout the day.

Temperatures are now expected to fall following a period of high pressure, which saw temperatures reach as high as 33C (91F) in parts of the country.

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