Storms Affect Thames Valley

19 July 2017, 07:32 | Updated: 19 July 2017, 11:17

Rain landscape

Overnight storms have caused problems in the Thames Valley

Berkshire's fire service has revealed they've had more than 40 weather-related callouts following last night's storms.

Among them - a house fire in Oregon Avenue in Tilehurst, which was caused by lightning hitting the roof.

A school in Sonning was also hit.

The storms also caused power cuts in Wantage, Newbury, Hook and Whitchurch.

And flooding's forced two schools in Earley to close.

Maiden Erlegh school's shut all day, while Hillside Primary won't open until 1 o'clock at the earliest.

Teachers there say their main hall, and several classrooms, are affected.

Floods also closed part of the A33, two miles east of Basingstoke for a time, but that's now re-opened.

A tree came down on the A40 in Cassington near Eynsham Road. 

And a car and a lorry crashed into a fallen tree and lamp post on the A40 North Way in Wolvercote. 

Thames Valley Police are telling drivers to be careful.

Meantime, it's been revealed that the heaviest rain recorded by the Met Office was in Reading. 

1.4" fell within an hour; that's more than half the average rainfall expected throughout July.