Travel Havoc Ahead Amid Heavy Flooding

Commuters are facing widespread disruption in parts of the UK after fierce storms and downpours caused flash floods, hitting major transport routes.

Train services between Scotland and England have been axed in the wake of Thursday’s freak deluges that saw rail lines blocked by floodwater, landslips and fallen trees.

One man died after being swept away in a Shropshire stream, while roads were closed, properties were flooded and hundreds of homes were evacuated.

Northern England, the Midlands, Scotland and Northern Ireland were worst hit by storms that brought lightening, giant hail stones and reports of damage from squalls and tornadoes.

In stark contrast southern parts of Britain enjoyed dry weather and temperatures as high as 28C.

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East Coast Trains said it had cancelled all services between Newcastle and Edinburgh for Friday following floods in Cumbria and near Newcastle and a landslip near Berwick-upon-Tweed. The West Coast line was also badly hit by the storms.

An East Coast spokesman said there would be no replacement bus services or alternative transport arrangements between Scotland and England, adding: "Network Rail is working hard to fix the line quickly following various problems caused by the severe weather experienced.

“The line is unlikely to re-open until tomorrow morning. Tickets valid today and yesterday will be valid on Saturday."

Swathes of the Midlands were hit by intense downpours, with some parts receiving almost an inch (22mm) of rain in just an hour - a third of the average rainfall for the whole month of June.

The North Tyneside area was also left reeling by the intense downpours and flooding that forced the closure of roads, the Metro network, The Tyne Tunnel and Newcastle's MetroCentre. Footage showed the the Tyne bridge being hit by lightning.

There were also widespread powercuts in the area with 15,000 homes still facing black-outs last night as Northern Power Grid engineers worked to resolve the problem.

All Metros remained at a standstill overnight, while the Tyne Tunnel was reopened after the floods subsided.

North Tyneside Council said it dealt with more than 200 flood-related incidents in the borough and that at least eight schools will be closed today due to flooding or water damage following the afternoon deluge.

Public buildings, including leisure centres and libraries were also closed and are expected to remain shut today, while some residents were evacuated from their homes as drainage systems became overwhelmed by rainfall.

The man killed in Shropshire was named locally as maths teacher Mike Ellis, in his 60s, who was swept away in a stream at Bittlerley, near Ludlow.

A 90-year-old man was among a number of people rescued from vehicles by fire crews following flash flooding in the Bridgnorth area of the county.

Northern Ireland and the Irish republic were also hit by floods and at the height of disruption, more than 10,000 homes in the Cork area and 1,000 in Northern Ireland suffered blackouts.

The Environment Agency had 10 flood warnings in place in the Midlands, North East and North West, but forecasters have said the worst of the weather looks to be over.

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