last updated: Thursday 2 July 2009, 08:40am

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Sizzling week could end in washout

The UK's hottest week in years could end in a washout with some parts of the country at risk of flooding, forecasters have warned.

As temperatures soared beyond 30C (86F) in parts of Surrey, the northeast of England was hit by a torrential thunderstorm and the Environment Agency warned south Wales and south west England should be braced for heavy downpours.

Police closed the A68 in both directions after a storm hit the Rowley Bridge area near Consett, County Durham, causing part of the bridge to collapse. And debris fell on to a house undergoing renovation, trapping one workman inside the building for a short time.

Tony Conran, forecaster for MeteoGroup UK, said: 'Tomorrow is certainly a possibility for the hottest day of the year but for other parts there could be floods. There's an area of very heavy rain moving in towards the hills of Bodmin and Exmoor. Anywhere in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset there could be a hell of a lot of rain.'

An Environment Agency spokesman added: 'The Environment Agency and Met Office are warning homeowners, businesses and drivers in southwest England and South Wales that heavy, thundery rain could lead to flash flooding, particularly from surface water drains and small watercourses.'

Meanwhile, the heatwave warning alert has been raised from level two to level three as Britain swelters in baking temperatures. Level three means high temperatures are reached and sustained in one or more regions, with two consecutive very warm nights and a hot intervening day. The highest alert level is level four.

The London Ambulance Service said it had seen a busy few days and urged people to only call for an ambulance in a genuine emergency. It has been treating large numbers of patients for breathing problems, chest pains, loss of consciousness and fainting.

The service received 4,765 calls on Tuesday - an increase of 21 per cent on the same day last week.

The Government has set up a heatwave advice page on its own Directgov website as NHS Direct received hundreds of calls from patients suffering symptoms related to the heat.

NHS Direct received 378 calls on Monday from people suffering symptoms related to the heat.

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