UK weather: Flash flooding causes £1m of damage in Cornish village with more downpours forecast

Flash flooding caused more than £1 million worth of damage to a Cornish village following torrential downpours, it has been suggested. 

In similar scenes to the Boscastle disaster, the equivalent of “200 Olympic-sized swimming pools” rained down on the rural village of Coverack on Tuesday afternoon.

On Wednesday an extensive clean-up was launched, with local council leaders promising that money will be “no problem” in the mission to repair the 50 or more properties damaged during the storm.

Meanwhile, downpours continued to wreak havoc across the country, with residents in the affluent town of Royal Tunbridge Wells forced to evacuate their homes after they became submerged in three feet of water.

In Cambridgeshire, adverse weather conditions also caused disruption for commuters and power lines, with the local police force suffering an outage on its non-emergency 101 service.

Families in Essex were forced to flee a block of four semi-detached houses set ablaze when lightning struck a TV aerial.

Speaking about the rain in Coverack, Dale Reardon, 54, a retained firefighter with Cornwall Fire Service, said: "It was horrendous - just such a large amount of water in such a short time." He added that the flood was similar to the one that devastated Boscastle in 2004.

The cost of repairs and insurance in Coverack is already estimated to be over £1 million, with structural damage to roads and buildings in the area.

The yellow weather warning was lifted last night (WED NIGHT) after half a month's worth a rain fell in some places.

However, today’s forecast is expected to be dry across much of Britain, with spectators attending this year’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale told to expect cloud with a mild sea breeze.

London

It is going to be damp with patchy drizzle for a while. Drier with sunshine during the afternoon. A dry end to the day with some late spells of sunshine. Moderate south-westerly winds. Max temp 20-23C (68-73F).

Berkshire/Surrey/Hampshire

Isolated showers at first. Then dry with spells of hazy sunshine, as well as variable cloud. Brisk south-westerly winds. Max temp 18-21C (64-70F).

South West 

An increasingly windy day. It is going to be bright with sunshine and light showers, more especially during the afternoon. A dry end to the day with some late spells of sunshine. Cooler with a fresh south-westerly wind. Max temp 17-20C (63-68F), but cooler over many upland areas.

Yorkshire/Humberside/Northumberland

It will be wet in places with the chance of patchy light rain for a time. Brighter during the afternoon with sunny spells. A dry evening with spells of late sunshine. Gentle westerly winds. Max temp 16-19C (61-66F), but cooler over many upland areas.

Lancashire/Merseyside

A wet start. It will then be mainly dry with sunny spells, but there is the chance of a shower later. Cooler with a freshening south-westerly wind. Max temp 16-19C (61-66F).

Herefordshire/Staffordshire/Shropshire

It is going to be wet in places with the chance of patchy light rain for a while. Drier with sunshine during the afternoon. A dry evening with spells of late sunshine. Moderate westerly winds. Max temp 18-21C (64-70F).

South Wales

It is expected to be mainly dry with sunny spells, but there is the chance of a heavy shower later. Cooler with a brisk south-westerly wind. Max temp 15-18C (59-64F).

Edinburgh/Fife/Tayside

After isolated showers initially, it will be dry with spells of sunshine and variable amounts of patchy cloud. Gentle westerly winds. Max temp 16-19C (61-66F).

North Wales 

It will be bright with periods of sunshine, although there is the chance of the odd shower during the morning. A dry and largely fine evening. Cooler with a fresh south-westerly wind. Max temp 15-18C (59-64F).

Northern Ireland

It looks set to be bright with spells of sunshine and heavy showers, some of these possibly thundery. The showers will start to ease off during the evening. Gentle southerly winds. Max temp 14-17C (57-63F).

What will the weather be like tomorrow?

It will be cooler and fresher tomorrow with heavy rain moving in from the west, although eastern areas should stay dry until evening. It will also be windy for many.

Further showery outbreaks of rain are expected on Saturday, with some spells heavy. The winds ease for many, but it will remain breezy in Scotland.