West Midlands weather: Lightning and heavy rain bring travel misery as storm hits region
[gallery]The Midland Metro was disrupted and an electricity pylon was destroyed by lightning as stormy weather hit the West Midlands this afternoon.
Planes including an Easyjet flight from Belfast and a Thomson Airways flight from China were directed away from Birmingham Airport as heavy rain struck.
The Metro between Wednesbury and Birmingham was brought to a halt due to the storm causing a power outage.
Roads were hit by flash flooding, making conditions treacherous, and at least three homes were affected by lightning strikes, said West Midlands Fire Service.
Meanwhile lightning has struck a pylon in the West Midlands, cutting electricity to more than 100 customers.
Womborne Police initially advised the public to avoid The Holloway at Swindon, Dudley after the pylon was hit and blew up.
Wires have landed in a hedgerow and field, and the road was closed although it has since reopened.
Western Power Distribution initially estimated that it caused power cuts to 114 customers, working to restore it by 6pm.
The fierce storm has come on the hottest day in September for more than 100 years.
The heatwave brought a blistering high of 34.4 degrees Celsius in Gravesend in Kent, making it the warmest September day since 1911.
According to the Met Office the highest temperature seen in Wolverhampton was 26.9 degrees Celsius.
