Thunderstorm warning for parts of Cumbria issued by Met Office

It covers the majority of the county but some of the westernmost parts - such as Whitehaven and Workington - are not included.

A spokesperson for the Met Office said that the main focus of the thunderstorm across the North of England was likely to be early evening and the first part of the night.

The Met Office provided information about what people might expect:

- Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.

- Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services.

- There is a chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost.

- There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, or damaged by lightning strikes, hail or sudden gusts of wind.

According to the Met Office spokesperson, in addition to the thunderstorms, temperatures reaching the high 20s and possibly low 30s were expected in Cumbria tomorrow.

Fun in the sun: Derek Plant takes advantage of the hot weather this week to teach his daughter to swim in the River Lune

However, she said: "Things will start changing from Friday; the east side of the country will hang on to the warm, hot weather, whereas the west side will start to freshen."

She added that weather in the South East could well bring the hottest recorded day in UK history. 39-degree heat is expected, with the previous record coming in August 2003, when temperatures in Faversham reached 38.5 degrees.

Advice on staying safe in thunderstorms as well as hot weather can be found on the Met Office website.

It was reported today that a house near Carlisle had a hole blown in its roof by lightning this morning.