VIOLENT rainstorms brought the sweltering hot spell in Worcestershire to an abrupt end today.

The county has roasted over the past few days - yesterday was the second hottest day of the year at 30C - but the week ended with electric storms and heavy downpours.

Journeys to work were disrupted this morning by water on the roads and a woman in Stoke Heath, near Bromsgrove, had to have paramedic help after being hit by part of a house roof struck by lightning.

Meanwhile, in neighbouring Herefordshire 800 homes fell victim to a power cut caused by the storms.

Worcester News weatherman

Paul Damari said the county would be at risk of flooding following the long dry spell.

But he said it was unlikely that it would suffer from the kind of freak major flooding shown on television screens following recent violent downpours.

"The ground is very dry in our area so rainwater doesn't penetrate the ground and instead you have rivers and streams that rise suddenly and overflow.

"But the situations in Yorkshire at the weekend and Boscastle last year were unique because of their topography. Valleys fill up like reservoirs but in Worcestershire and Herefordshire we have very few places like that, though we do have a normal risk of flash flooding.

"There has been a build up of heat and humidity and the cooler, fresher air has been pushing in from the Atlantic.

"That's made the air rise vertically, which is the recipe for heavy thunderstorms, squally showers, winds and flooding, though it has been very hit and miss, with some parts catching more than others."

He said tonight and Saturday are likely to be cooler and fresher, with some cloud leaving temperatures dropping to about 20C before rising a little on Sunday and Monday.

"The rest of the summer will be better than last year in terms of temperatures, but will be punctuated by these intense thunderstorms," he predicted.