Two killed and Paris floods as violent storm breaks France's heatwave
A child was among two people killed as violent winds, lightning strikes and flash-floods wreaked havoc across France on Wednesday night.
Water gushed down the streets of the capital, trapping cars and forcing Parisians and tourists to run for cover as they were taken by surprise when the deluge hit at the end of another day of extreme heat.
Rain also leaked through the roof of the National Assembly, with firefighters called to investigate while ministers suspended their talks on the conflict in the Middle East.
Fierce winds caused the deaths of two people on Wednesday night. One man, aged 59, was killed when his motorbike hit a fallen tree in Mayenne, in France's north-west, according to Le Parisien newspaper.
A 12-year-old boy died after being hit by a falling tree while cooling off by a river in the southern French department of Tarn-et-Garonne where winds of 114km/hr were recorded during the afternoon.
Parisian firefighters responded to 40 reports of fallen tress. They said no one had been hurt.
By midnight, more than 39,000 lightning strikes had been recorded across France and Belgium, weather tracking website Lightning Maps reported.
The storms brought only a slight reprieve from temperatures of up to 40C recorded during France's first heatwave of the summer – and extreme heat is expected again over the weekend and early next week.
The heatwave has been 'remarkable for its intensity' and 'early arrival,' as only three other heatwaves have ever started earlier in the year, Météo-France forecaster Tristan Amm told Le Monde earlier this week.
Metéo France said on Wednesday night the thunderstorms would 'ease overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, moving out through the northern and northeastern borders'.
Thunderstorms to hit UK
Residents of south-east England have been warned to prepare for 'lightning, hail, and heavy rain' before storms clear later on Thursday.
'Elsewhere through Thursday, rain will move eastwards across the UK, clearing to showers, with some sunny spells breaking through at times,' Met Office forecaster Paul Gundersen added.
'Friday will start dry in the east, with rain moving in from the west, becoming showery later.'
Many parts of the UK will stay dry, Mr Gunderson said, adding that a patch of rain would likely move south-east and east by Saturday.
Sunday is due to see 'variable cloud and showers' in the north, with 'patchy rain and drizzle' in the west, but otherwise it will be dry with sunny spells, he added.
Parts of the south are set to hit highs of 30C over the weekend, which would be hotter than Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, according to forecasts.
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