Houses go up in flames after lightning strikes as thunderstorms cause ‘worst floods in 20 years’ 

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 storms could continue today.

The Met Office website added last night: ‘These showers and thunderstorms will only slowly die out through the evening, but may persist across north-west England, south-west Scotland and perhaps eastern Northern Ireland into the early hours of Wednesday morning.’  

Heavy showers brought flooding in Manchester, Birmingham and Stourbridge – just days before a heatwave is set to sweep in, with temperatures set to hit 82F (28C) by next Wednesday.

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.

‘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 heatwave is set to sweep across the UK from next Wednesday. But sun-hungry Britons should not get their picnics packed yet as a huge stormy weather front is moving across the west coast, stretching from Cornwall to Glasgow and parts of Northern Ireland.

The tempest will move eastwards tomorrow to include Oxford, Cambridge and Lincoln and could cause havoc for homeowners and businesses.

Manchester has already been 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 yesterday 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 small tornado swirled across the Yorkshire Dales yesterday 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.’

An Asda spokesman said no injuries had been reported, adding ‘The store is closed while we make it safe for customers to return.’

Almost a month’s worth of rain fell in Rochdale in just a few hours on Monday afternoon, leaving parts of the town flooded.

In Milnrow cars were pictured underwater as Kiln Lane flooded and slip roads to the M62 were also closed due to flooding.

Meanwhile in the picturesque town of Ironbridge in Shropshire, flash flooding ripped through the streets and mixed with sewer water to swamp local businesses.

It came less than four months after the historic area had to be evacuation when swollen River Severn flood barriers looked likely to give way.

Chris Harrison, who owns the Dale End Cafe in Ironbridge, desperately worked with neighbours to try to barricade his business before the stinking water seeped in on Sunday.

But they were too late and shop, which was hit by the February floods, was covered in puddles and smelt of sewer water.

Mr Harrison told the Shropshire Star: ‘Every time we get heavy rain it floods. It wasn’t from the River Severn or the brook this time, it came up through a sewer.

‘What do I do? If I can’t get to speak to the powers that be and sort this out properly, I don’t know how I’m going to be able to carry on with it.

‘We only kept going after the last floods because of our community. I believe we’ve got one of the best communities here.’

Telford and Wrekin Council tweeted: ‘The rain has appeared with a vengeance this afternoon which has caused some surface flooding so if you’re out and about on the roads please take extra care. It is especially bad in Ironbridge so avoid this area if you can.’