17th August - Today's News: Thunderstorms Cause More Flash Floods Across Britain

The heatwave and drought broke big time here in Evesham last night - with 33mm of rain to midnight, of which ~20mm fell in just 30 minutes.   No serious issues here, but many places saw thunderstorms warning as heavy rain hits and roads flood. Some of the worst affected places included Nottinghamshire where, in Worksop: Heavy rainfall causes flash flooding in town and Hampshire with Totton homes flooded and roads blocked after downpour whilst the A358 road closed due to mudslide in Somerset.

And today, parts of battered Britain faces another day of thunderstorms threatening lives, homes and businesses while forecasters issue 29 flood alerts and warn of travel chaos and power cuts

Meanwhile, in Yorkshire: Drought status declared by Environment Agency whilst a Thames Water hosepipe ban to start on 24 August

Waterspout appears over sea as storms hit Cornwall coast - though not quite as impressive as the moment colossal waterspout is spotted off Florida's Panhandle.   Meanwhile, in South Africa, another waterspout on West Coast uproots trees and rips roofs off

Heavy rainfall hits Paris, flooding several metro stations

‘Mini tsunami’ shocks beachgoers in southern Spain 

As firefighters battle to control huge wildfire in Spain’s Valencia region how European forest fires increasing the world’s climate footprint

In Western Australia, Perth weather: Hail storm turns backyards into winter wonderland as rainfall records topple

New Zealand  sees more than 200 homes evacuated in Nelson-Tasman flooding, more rain to come

Pakistan floods kill 580 and bring misery to millions 

And in SE Asia the China heatwave pushes up prices as hens lay fewer eggs as the worst heat wave in six decades stifles parts of China