Heavy rain and winds sweep the country as lightning strikes halt trains – with forecasters even predicting SNOW
Passengers were delayed after a lightning bolt struck a railway line in the early hours as forecasters predict one of the coldest winters in history
TRAINS have been delayed after a lightning bolt hit a railway line as storms and heavy rain battered parts of Britain overnight – and there's even the threat of snow.
Nobody was hurt by the millions-of-volts flash in the early hours but the power surge damaged the signalling equipment meaning disruption to services between Devon and Cornwall this morning.
Heavy rain and strong winds battered areas of western Britain this morning with heavy flooding also reported in the West Country.
A stormy weather system is sweeping in from the Atlantic today with heavy rain and wintry temperatures expected in much of the country.
There is also a chance of snow in particularly chilly areas as long-term forecasters suggest this winter could be the coldest since the ‘Beast from the East’ in 2010.
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That weather system blanketed Britain for a month and included the coldest December ever recorded by the Met Office since it began in 1910.
The USA has also been put on alert with predictions that this could be one of their worst winters in history.
: “This [weekend] will be an early taster for what we can expect from November onwards, in particular, in the northern half of the country.
“Despite some milder interludes and times in November, we can expect the first significant snow of the season across higher ground and there will also be an increasing risk for some snow to lower levels at times.
"A much more traditional and cooler feel to November can be expected with an extensive mix of frost, fog, ice and snow for the northern half of the country.
“We also can't entirely rule out the risk for some of these conditions to spread further south and to parts of the capital at times within November, in particular, towards the final third of the month.”
The forthcoming freeze is thought to be the result of a change in global weather patterns – including La Nina – and threatens some of the most severe conditions in the northern Atlantic for years.
The changes have left countries like Britain and the US open to snow and winds tumbling down from the Arctic.
A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said: “There's lots of surface water on the roads – it poured down around 2am.
“Be mindful of standing water and your car aqua-planing.”
Network Rail said that following the lightning bolt staff were “on site working to resolve the issue”.
The Met Office's forecast for this weekend
Today: Mostly dry in the north today, with spells of sunshine and isolated heavy showers for some. Meanwhile, bands of showery rain will spread across much of England and Wales, turning heavy with hail and thunder likely at times.
Tonight: Showery rain slowly clearing to the east overnight, lingering over East Anglia until dawn. Elsewhere, lengthy clear spells leading to another chilly night in the north and west.
Sunday: A chilly start for many with lingering cloud over south-eastern counties at first. Fine and dry conditions for the rest of the day though, with plenty of sunshine for all.
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