Twister sighted off the coast of Cornwall as Britain is hit with floods, gale force winds and Met Office warns we face long period of severe weather

• More than two inches of rain fell last night with strong winds of 80mph also battering parts of the country
• The wild weather has already led to flooding and dramatic sea rescues in Cornwall and Devon today
• An air-sea rescue helicopter has airlifted three crewmen injured on two boats in stormy weather off the Isles of Scilly
• Bizarre weather conditions for June highlighted by sighting of huge twister off Cornish coast
• The south-west and South Wales under a 54-hour warning from 6pm yesterday to midnight tomorrow
• Emergency services issue a 'major flood' alert in the South-West and Wales as Atlantic front sweeps in 

By Anthony Bond
PUBLISHED: 03:17, 14 June 2012 | UPDATED: 20:08, 15 June 2012

Britain is braced for a second deluge of torrential rain over the next two days as the Met Office issued one of the longest severe weather warnings in its history - with a TWISTER even spotted off the coast.
More than two inches of rain fell last night with strong winds of 80mph battering the country, causing huge seas and flooding in the south west.
Forecasters say the country will still have a wait to see a glimpse of summer as the dreadful conditions will continue throughout the rest of today and into  tomorrow, as storm clouds move northwards.

Bizarre: Locals in Cornwall were stunned when they saw this giant twister forming over the coast of the county. A huge storm last night caused flooding and huge seas in the county

Racegoers in York try to shield themselves from a torrential downpour today

... but the wind blew their cover over, exposing them to the elements once more

The short rainstorm hit the Knavesmire at the Mid-Summer Raceday during the June Meeting at York racecourse

The south-west and south Wales are under a 54-hour severe weather warning from 6pm yesterday to midnight tomorrow and people in the south-west, Wales and the Midlands have been told to 'prepare for flooding'.
The latest storms follow dreadful weather conditions earlier this week which resulted in more than three inches, or 80mm, of rain falling in just 24 hours, leaving homes and roads flooded.
Firefighters are on flood alert in many parts of the country with crews in the south west - which have seen a huge surge in flooding-related call outs since the start of the week -  braced for more this weekend.

Porthcawl lighthouse in South Wales was dwarfed by waves as the wind and rain continue to affect the British summer

Surfers take advantage of stormy seas caused by a low pressure weather system in Porthcawl

Heavy: These Met Office maps show how Britain was affected by rainfall this morning

Wet: Lucy Allen and her horse Poppy cross a swollen ford in the village of Meavy in Devon. The south west of England was hit with heavy rainfall overnight

Grim: Spectators take cover under umbrellas today after rain stopped play at the Aegon tennis championships at Queen's club in London

Damp: The poor weather led to the covers been brought out and the players returning to their dressing rooms

Spectators shelter underneath their umbrellas as rain stopped play during a quarter final singles match

Several fire crews have had to rescue drivers who ignored road closures and diversion warnings and drove into flooded roads.

Cornwall and Devon were last night in the firing line as a huge storm rolled in from the Atlantic.
Earlier this week, locals in Cornwall were stunned when they snapped a tornado forming over the coastline - highlighting how uncommon the weather conditions are for this time of year.

The huge twister was spotted off Bossiney Bay in Tintagel, North Cornwall, by photographer Avian Sandercock, 43, on Tuesday.
He said the funnel cloud whirled around the coastline for ten minutes - heading towards a holiday park before disappearing.
Mr Sandercock said: 'I couldn't believe my eyes. It was incredible and the sky was strange.
'I've never seen anything like that before. I don't think I was scared, just astonished. I grabbed my camera from the house and rushed out to see it.
'When it started to fade I drove down to see if I could catch it. I fancy myself as a bit of a mini-tornado chaser.'
Sarah Holland, from the Met Office, said the 'Twister of Tintagel' was actually a rare funnel cloud that would be called a waterspout if it touched the sea.
'Funnel clouds can occur if the right conditions are in place and although they’re not a sight you see very often, they do happen from time to time.

 

'Tornadoes aren't that common, but they are a part of the UK climate; between 30 and 40 are reported on average each year.'
Last night, there were reports of flooding and huge seas resulted in a number of dramatic rescues.
Homes in St Agnes, Cornwall, were flooded and rescue teams from Perranporth were scrambled to pump out water and sewage.
An air-sea rescue helicopter airlifted three crewmen injured on two boats in stormy weather off the Isles of Scilly this morning.
One man suffered a broken ankle and two others suffered a fractured arm and cuts.
Ken Bazeley of Falmouth Coastguard said 'There are several vessels that we are monitoring all the time as they make their way back to Falmouth or Plymouth or the south coast of Cornwall that have suffered mast or steering problems.'
The Penlee lifeboat was also launched this morning to go to a yacht which broadcast a Mayday.
An RNLI spokesman said 'The Penlee all-weather lifeboat launched to assist a 38ft yacht with two people on board 12 miles south of Newlyn.
'The yacht had managed to lose a sail overboard that got tangled around the keel and rudder in a south east gale.
'The lifeboat arrived on the scene in 40 minutes and managed to secure a rope to the yacht then started the tow back to Newlyn.
'Later the Penlee Inshore Lifeboat launched as the vessels approached the harbour to help tow the yacht through the gaps in testing conditions, and the yacht was safely moored.'

Empty: The dreadful weather conditions have affected the tourist industry. These pedalos wait to be hired on a bleak-looking beach in Weymouth, Dorset

Bleak: Despite it being the middle of June, the storms in Weymouth have left it looking deserted

It's coming: NASA's Terra satellite took this stunning image of the 70mph Atlantic storm at 12.45pm yesterday as it span towards the South-West

Meanwhile there were reports that two more ran yachts had run aground in huge seas off Plymouth in Devon.
This morning the 9.15am Scillonian Ferry service between Penzance and the Isles of Scilly was cancelled because of dangerously high seas.
A number of boats were ripped from their moorings during the night in Falmouth and Penryn in Cornwall.
The Environment Agency said people in Devon and Cornwall should 'remain prepared' for the possibility of flooding.
Devon County Council said its highways department, which was still clearing up debris from last week’s storms, was 'geared up' to deal with any incidents.
The storms have resulted in some huge seas of the coastline with surfers taking advantage of massive waves in Harlyn Bay in Cornwall.
Huge waves were also seen crashing over a lighthouse in Porthcawl, Wales.
And punters at the Mid-Summer Raceday during the June Meeting at York racecourse desperately tried to shield themselves from the elements during a short  rainstorm.
Some attempted to seeks shelter under a makeshift tent canopy - which was soon blown over by the strong winds.
Meanwhile, spectators huddled underneath their umbrellas as rain stopped play during a quarter final singles tennis match at the Queen's Club grass court championships in London.
The Environment Agency last night issued flood warnings – the second-highest level of alert – for the South East and East Anglia and announced a further 12 flood alerts in other areas.
It said its specialist teams would closely monitor river levels and use  pumping equipment in the worst-affected areas. The warnings cover 32,500 properties.

Enjoying the final few glimmers of sun: With yet more rain and stormy weather forecast, Freya Kirkpatrick , 4, takes a last chance to play in the sunshine with her dog, Monty, in a giant field of ox eye daisies on the edge of Blithfield Reservoir near Rugeley, Staffordshire

Flying high... while they can: Paragliders take advantage of break in the miserable weather over Beachy Head and Eastbourne in East Sussex yesterday

Making the most of it: The paragliders may have to back up they chutes soon, though, as more downpours are sweeping their way across the UK today

Speaking about firefighters being on flood alert, councillor Brian Coleman, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Fire Services Management Committee, said: 
'Crews across the country are on standby for any incidences of flooding. We know from previous experience the disruption, and in some cases devastation, that flooding can cause.  People can be assured that whatever turn the weather takes, fire crews and council staff will be out in force doing everything they can to help.
'Fire crews have been advising people in flood risk areas to exercise an extra degree of caution. Parents should be keeping a close eye on their children and warning them of the potential dangers of going too near to rivers and streams.

'In some areas motorists have been ignoring flood warnings and driving into roads submerged in water – some have been blindly following their satnavs. Water on the road can be deeper than it looks so it is vital that drivers do not ignore road closure and diversion signs. Vehicles can float away in as little as two feet of water.'
This latest storm comes after a brief respite for Britain which had been enjoying better weather following dreadful conditions earlier this week.
More than three inches, or 80mm, fell in just 24 hours and left homes and roads flooded.

Speaking about this weekend's weather, a spokesman for the Environment Agency said: ‘The heavy rainfall is expected to spread into central and north eastern England on Friday, with heavy showers to follow throughout the day and into Saturday.

Calm before the storm: The sky above the Queens tennis club on day three of the AEGON Championships in London hint at what is to come

'The public should remain vigilant and stay away from swollen rivers and not drive through floodwater.’
The strong winds and heavy rain form part of a bout of low pressure building up over the Atlantic which is set to hit the South West first before spreading across the country.
Met Office forecaster Dan Williams said: ‘Over the next 48-hour period we could see up to 40mm (1.5in) of rain in those areas. Across high ground, particularly Snowdonia, we could possibly see 80mm (3in).
‘There’s been a lot of rain over southern England and Wales over the past week or so and the ground is pretty saturated, so that’s obviously going to be a factor when we get further rain. It could cause quite a few problems.’
He added: ‘This area of low pressure is moving in from the South West, bringing with it heavy and persistent rain and strong winds. We could get gusts of up to 60mph.’

Weather Channel forecaster Leon Brown said: 'There’s a 50 per cent possibility of extreme downpours seeing over 80mm of rain in 12 hours in south and east Wales, which is a once-in-50 years event.
'The greatest intensity of rain will be early Thursday night and again on Friday daytime. Overall, up to 110mm is expected in Wales in just over 48 hours to midnight Saturday.
'This rainfall will be widespread across river catchment areas and could completely overwhelm rivers downstream. There is a high risk of flooding, with situation made even worse by ground being saturated from previous rain this week.'
MeteoGroup forecaster Julian Mayes said: 'We cannot find a period of June weather worse than this month since records began. For a 12-day period, it’s as bad as it can be.
'There’s no parallel with this month’s combination of very high rainfall, very low sunshine and very low daytime temperatures.
'The outlook is unsettled and although we don’t yet know for sure if it will be the wettest June, it’s well on the way.'
Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said its 650 firefighters and 100 support staff were ready to take flood action.
A spokesman said: 'Ourselves, the police and county council are monitoring the weather forecast and will take appropriate action when needed. We have vast experience dealing with flooding, in particular floods which devastated Cornwall in November 2010.'

Enjoy it while it lasts: For much of yesterday, however, the sun was trying to come out, but the reprieve will only be temporary, forecasters warn

When 80mm of rain fell in 24 hours in west Wales last Friday, 150 people were rescued and 850 relocated as 5ft floods swept through caravan parks and villages.
Government forecasters predicted 15-20mm of rain today, plus 70-100mm over higher ground in 48 hours from midnight, with 30-50mm on lower ground.
The Weather Channel forecast more than 100mm on higher ground and warned of a 'major flooding event.' Rivers running off higher ground will fill rapidly.
The Met Office forecast wind gusts to hit a gale-force of 55mph-60mph on coasts in the South-West tomorrow.
Other parts of the UK will escape the worst of the conditions, with up to an inch of rain across tomorrow and Saturday, with 35-40mph gusts, the Met Office said.
The storm will peter out by tomorrow night, to be followed by sunshine and showers on Sunday.

Who says the weather's bad? Two girls from Oregon in the U.S. enjoy ice creams on one of the bridges that straddle the village of Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire

Sunshine after the rain: A young lady takes advantage of the weather in a deckchair in St James's Park, London, yesterday before the downpours sweep in

Gusts on the horizon: The flags in Parliament Square, London, were blowing more vigorously yesterday, indicating that the expected high winds of up to 60mph could soon be upon us

 

The Met Office said it was too early to say whether this month was on course to be the wettest June on record, beating the 2007 figure of 136.2mm. The average June rainfall is 72.6mm.
Despite the torrential conditions, the Met Office said the UK was still below its average rainfall for the year. Between January and May, 392.5mm of rain fell across the country, compared with an average of 439mm.
Nevertheless, temperatures have been miserable for many. Forest Row, East Sussex, only reached 10.7C on Tuesday, almost 10C below normal for June.
Sunshine is down 60 per cent so far this month, with England and Wales averaging just 30 hours’ sunshine. June normally sees 178 hours’ sunshine.
Although there have been heavy showers in parts of the South West, Wales and the North West, parts of the country which were on flood alert after days of heavy rain were given breathing space this week with clear skies in the South East and London.
The break in the weather came as three of the UK’s biggest water companies announced they would lift hosepipe bans, imposed to deal with drought, following weeks of heavy rain.
Thames Water, Anglian Water and Southern Water were to remove the restrictions in place since early April from yesterday.
Seven water companies across southern and eastern England brought in hosepipe bans after two unusually dry winters left some groundwater supplies and rivers as low as in the drought year of 1976.
The Environment Agency had urged people in Devon, Cornwall, west Somerset, North Wales and parts of the Midlands to remain prepared for the possibility of floods as the Met Office issued a weather warning for heavy rain.

Underwater: The ford near Charvil, Berkshire, which flooded to a depth of 6ft after heavy rain hit parts of the UK. Temperatures are up to 10C below normal and sunshine is down 60 per cent

At one point yesterday the agency had five flood warnings in place for rivers where flooding was expected, and 21 less serious flood alerts.
There were also 17 flood alerts, mainly in East Anglia and the South East.
Today, that had been downgraded to two warnings where flooding was expected and 12 where it was possible over the next 12 hours.
Sussex Police, West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and council officers said they evacuated people from flooded homes in the village of Elmer, near Bognor Regis, after reports of flooding of up to 6ft in some homes.
Inflatable boats were used to reach 250 vulnerable homes, knocking on doors and searching properties to make sure people were safe and received the help they needed, a Sussex Police spokesman said.
MeteoGroup said that the highest rainfall had been at Culdrose in Cornwall, where 16mm fell, with 13mm in Nantwich, Cheshire.

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