Parts of UK hit by thunderstorms

A block in Wembley was damaged by lightning. Photo: John Paish

Storms have lashed areas of England and Wales, causing disruption and damage.

The wet weather, accompanied by some thunder and lightning, spread north during Sunday and one flood warning is in place in Nottinghamshire.

Heavy rain hit London for two hours on Sunday morning, a period during which a lightning strike damaged the roof of a low-rise block of flats in Wembley.

The storms moved north to the Midlands and the Wash, but the BBC Weather Centre said they will soon fizzle out.

Broadcast meteorologist Susan Powell said the same weather system that had caused problems on Saturday would continue to weaken and gradually pull away, making way for a "quieter" Monday.

The sudden change in the weather has brought an abrupt end to the sunshine enjoyed by many parts of the UK.

This was due to the area of high pressure moving towards Iceland and leaving much of the country on the edge of the jet stream, which is a fast-flowing air current, she said.

One flood warning is in place, in Daybrook, Nottinghamshire, according to the Environment Agency.

Flooding in southern Wales. Photo: Philip Woods

Overnight the worst of the weather was in south Wales and much of southern England, from Dorset to East Sussex.

Fifteen fire brigade appliances attended the block of flats in Wembley, north London, shortly after 0700 BST, where half the roof of the three-storey block was alight. No-one was hurt.

The heavy rain followed storms in the South West which caused disruption on Saturday, including a power cut to 2,000 properties in Devon.

A spokesman for Western Power Distribution said the problems were widespread across the region but power had been restored.

In a small cove at Labrador Bay near Brixham, Devon, a family had to be rescued by the coastguard when the stormy weather prevented them sailing back out, and they were surrounded by steep cliffs.

Later that night, more than 40 firefighters tackled a blaze at a Dorset campsite after lightning struck an electricity pole.

Devon firefighters were also called to a house in Tiverton after a lightning strike, and a number of cars in Exeter were trapped by flood water.

Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of England have largely escaped the worst of the weather this weekend.