[Updated] Severe weather in Coventry and Warwickshire

A flood warning has been issued for parts of the River Tame in North Warwickshire following heavy rain.


This large hailstone landed in Sylvia Newham's garden in Wolvey

The warnings have been issued in the Water Orton and Whitacre and Nether Whitacre areas by the Environment Agency.

It said 30mm (1.2in) of rain had fallen in the space of three hours and more was expected to follow.

There were reports of a storm in Coventry with "golf ball" sized hailstones falling.

On Twitter, @ScariestJ tweeted: "We have a big one here in Coventry. 2 flashes and a cloudburst at 1241. 3cm hail."

Many roads across the area were affected by localised flooding with storm drains and sewers unable to cope with the downpours.

West Midlands Fire Service confirmed it was in attendance at the Tesco store at Arena Park in Coventry where rainwater was coming through the roof.

A jobs fair at the Civic Hall in Bedworth, Warwickshire, was disrupted as surface water ran into the theatre, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire's reporter Sian Grzeszczyk said.

Huge thunderstorm causes flash flooding across Coventry



A HUGE thunder storm caused flash flooding today as it swept through parts of Coventry and Warwickshire.

Hailstones the size of golf balls came crashing down wreaking havoc across the region.

Customers and staff were evacuated from Tesco at Coventry’s Arena Park after rain water leaked through the roof of the store.

A number of flights were delayed from Birmingham Airport and had to be re-directed to other airports.

And motorists were caught in tailbacks as roads across the city - including Hen Lane in Holbrooks - were swamped with water.

There were 18 flood alerts in the Midlands as the storm trailed from Birmingham through to Coventry, Nuneaton and other parts of Warwickshire.

Pupils were sent home from Lapworth Primary School, in Leamington, after being forced to close due to the flooding.

A Coventry supermarket also had to be evacuated this afternoon due to flooding.

Customers were rushed out of the Tesco store at Arena Shopping Park around 12.50pm after water began pouring through the roof during the heavy rain.

Firefighters initially received reports that water had got into the electrics and tills at the store had caught fire.

Jim McDonald, 73, from Coundon had been inside the store when he was told by staff to abandon his shopping.

“I was just doing my shopping when I heard the rain and hailstones hitting the roof - it was quite loud.

“Then obviously the roof couldn’t take it and the rainwater started coming through the roof onto the electrics and lighting systems, and was all over the shop floor.

“It was dangerous for the people in the shop - it was pretty bad. There was quite a lot of water and puddles all over the shop floor.

“Everybody inside abandoned their shopping in the aisles and got out. There was a lot of us all walking out.”

Laura Adams who works in the cafe inside the store said people were still trying to order while the store was being evacuated.

“You could hear the rain outside and then when I went to look what was happening outside the cafe you could see the water gushing onto the tills.

“I have never seen anything like it before, or rain like that even.

“Some people were even trying to get into the cafe to order food when the store was evacuating.

“It was quite calm as people just filtered outside.”

A spokeswoman for Tesco said staff were trying to reopen the store as quickly as possible.

She added: “We are sorry for the inconvenience caused to our customers.”

Other nearby roads that were affected by the flash floods were Hen Lane and Wheelwright Lane in Holbrooks and Kingfield Road, Foleshill.

Organisers say the Godiva Festival will be going ahead despite the weather and the forecast for more rain.

Extra boards and bark chippings will be placed across the grounds of War Memorial Park for people to walk on during the festival from Friday until Sunday.

Tesco Arena also flooded a couple of years back so there is obviously something wrong with that roof?

Two flood warnings remain in place for parts of the River Tame in north Warwickshire.


Chapel End, Nuneaton

The Environment Agency issued warnings in the Water Orton and Whitacre and Nether Whitacre areas on Thursday, when heavy rain affected the county.

It said 30mm (1.2in) of rain fell in the space of three hours across the morning and lunchtime.

And Coventry's Godiva Festival, which attracts about 100,000 people, has been called off because of the conditions.

The city council said conditions at Memorial Park, where the three-day event is held, were dangerously boggy.

On Thursday, a number of bungalows in Willow Close, Chapel End, Nuneaton, were affected and raw sewage flooded into the road.

There was also disruption to a jobs fair at the Civic Hall in Bedworth, as surface water ran into the theatre.