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Heatwave warnings for travel disruption over buckling train tracks after night of storms

People face sweltering journeys across the West Midlands today as soaring temperatures brought warnings over travel disruption.

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Network Rail warned of possible disruption to train services due to buckling tracks because of the heat. (Picture: Library image/PA)

The warnings came following thunderstorms and lightning strikes overnight which led to a sleepless night for many.

Forecasters believe more than 40,000 bolts of lightning crashed down across the country - many of which centred on the West Midlands in the early hours today.

  • Scroll down for a gallery of local lightning photos

And more thunderstorms are forecast for tomorrow evening as temperatures are likely to beat the July record of 98F (36.7C) in parts of the country.

Network Rail warned train tracks could swell and buckle due to the heat and advised people to check timetables before starting journeys.

And a large tree fell across a road in Rugeley bringing disruption.

Across the West Midlands, the mercury will rise to at least 89.6F (32C) while in the south east temperatures will go higher still.

The Met Office has issued weather warnings for overnight Thursday into Friday, cautioning of thunderstorms and lightning strikes which could cause power cuts and flooding.

Police were forced to cool off tensions after a large water fight "descended into disorder" in a Birmingham park yesterday.

Officers arrived at Cannon Hill Park near the MAC Centre on Tuesday afternoon to reports of trouble.

A 16-year-old was arrested on suspicion of assaulting police officers and a security guard.

Another 16-year-old was taken to hospital with a hand injury.

Travel advice

Speed restrictions are to be introduced on some rail lines because of the heat, Network Rail has said.

In a statement it said that "in some locations we may have to introduce speed restrictions during the hottest part of the day at vulnerable locations as slower trains exert lower forces on the track and reduce the likelihood of buckling".

Commuters faced disruption between Tame Bridge Parkway station, in Wednesbury, and Walsall Railway Station, this morning due to a train fault.

The fault affected London Northwestern and West Midlands Railway services for around three hours after it was reported at 8am.

And Birmingham New Street station took to social media to reiterate warnings for potential delays due to the searing heat.

Nick King, of Network Rail added: "Keeping passengers safe and moving are our top priorities during this heatwave.

"That's why we sometimes have to put speed restriction on to prevent our rails - that can be over 20 degrees hotter than air temperatures - from buckling which can derail a train and cause huge delays.

"Passengers should check before they travel, by visiting their train operator's website or National Rail Enquiries."

Residents also awoke to find a large tree had fallen across a road in Rugeley, although it was unclear at this stage if it had been brought down by a lightning strike.

The tree came down in Peakes Road, Rugeley. Picture: Terry Hunter

The tree fell across Peakes Road forcing motorists to find an alternative route.

Tree sturgeons had been called to clear the tree by mid-morning.

Storms light up night sky

The Met Office showcased the fierce thunderstorms which swept across the West Midlands last night.

And the storms raged on into northern parts of the region into the early hours before moving onto north England and Scotland.

Thunderstorms moved into southern and western areas late on Tuesday evening, with the Met Office issuing a yellow severe weather warning for most of England, Wales and Scotland until 9am on Wednesday.

Many Twitter users posted to say they had been woken up by the thunderstorms amid temperatures of around 80F (27C) as darkness fell yesterday evening.

A block of flats in Nuneaton and a house in Bedworth were struck by lightning, Warwickshire Fire Service reported.

GALLERY: Readers' images of the storm

Mandy Ravenhill snapped the lightning in Ettingshall
Lightning cracks the skies over Tipton last night. Picture: Jessica Grew
Kay Hitchcox send in this picture of the storm over Wolverhampton Road, Sedgley
Lighting over Sedgley Beacon, Sedgley, Dudley. Picture: Julie Stanley
Lighting flashes over the former Aldridge Airport, near Walsall, taken in clear footage by Martin Wulfran
More lighting flashes over the former Aldridge Airport, near Walsall, taken in clear footage by Martin Wulfran
A flash of lightning seen through a window in West Bromwich. Picture: Sarah Giz
Jagged lines paint the sky over Willenhall at around 2am. Picture: Stacey Davies
Lightning erupts amid clouds over Belbroughton, near Stourbridge. Picture: Lin Hughes
Kirstee Lou took this picture in Long Knowle, Wednesfield
Gemma Cross took this picture of the lightning over Haden Hill, near Cradley Heath
John Cullen took this picture in Prosser Street, Park Village
The lightning over Holloway Street, in Gornal, pictured by Nicola Caddick
Steph Glasby captured the lightning over Tividale
The lightning over Bilbrook near Wolverhampton. Picture: Tez Smith
The lightning pictured over Walsall. Picture: Tom Hollowood

North Wales was the wettest area overnight, getting 15mm of rain in one hour.

But by Wednesday morning, much of the country was already experiencing temperatures far above normal for this time of year.

It's hotting up: Latest weather forecast

Storms will clear the West Midlands as sunny spells return through the morning, forecasters reveal.

"Quite a lot of places are back up to 23 or 24 degrees already (at 5am)," Met Office meteorologist Emma Smith said.

"It's normally 13 or 14 degrees at this time of year, so that's 10 degrees above average."

It comes after temperatures across England exceeded 30C (86F) on Tuesday, with forecasters predicting even hotter temperatures on Wednesday.

"It will get to 35 degrees on Wednesday, with a small chance it will get to 36C," said Ms Smith.

At Ashwood Nurseries, near Kingswinford, plantsman Steve Lampitt from Wolverhampton was trying to keep the plants well watered

The highest overnight average temperature ever seen in the UK was 23.3C (73.94F) in July 1948.

Ms Smith said there is a possibility this will be beaten on Thursday night into Friday.

Temperatures in London are expected to reach 38C (100.4F) on Thursday, which would pass the current record for a day in July - 36.7C (98.1F) - recorded at Heathrow Airport in 2015.

The Met Office said there is a 40% chance the UK temperature record of 38.5C (101.3F), which was recorded in Faversham, Kent, in August 2003, will be exceeded.

Northern Ireland and western Scotland will be the coolest areas on Thursday, with temperatures in the low 20s.

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