Downpours signal end of UK heatwave (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Downpours signal end of UK heatwave

5:39pm Thursday 2nd July 2009 in

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Forecasters have signalled the end of Britain's hottest spell for years after half the country sweltered while the other half of the north-south divide was soaked.

Swathes of the UK remained in the grip of the blistering heat, but other parts of the country dealt with heavy rain and flash floods.

Temperatures soared to 30C (86F) at Heathrow airport and across south east England as western England was deluged by up to 20mm of rain and 300 homes in Cornwall suffered a power cut after lightning strikes.

Victoria Kettley, forecaster for MeteoGroup UK, the weather arm of the Press Association, said temperatures would drop over the weekend to about 21C by Monday.

She said: "It's been a day of some contrast across Britain. Temperatures reached 30C at Heathrow but I am not sure we will reach the previous day's highs.

"The temperatures are likely to drop slightly from herein. The hot spell is over for now."

The current sunny spell is the hottest since 2006 with Wednesday seeing the highest temperatures of the year at 31.8C (89.2F).

During the hot spell ambulance crews have treated large numbers of patients for breathing problems, chest pains, loss of consciousness and fainting.

In contrast, north east England was hit by flash floods.

An Environment Agency spokesman said: "There was some very localised flash flooding, mainly in agricultural areas, in the North East and we've heard some reports of some flash flooding in Durham. However the worst of that seems to have passed now. We are watching the South West but rivers there so far are not responding to the rain and the ground is still taking on water."