Met Office issues brutal thunderstorm alert for UK after record-breaking temperatures

dailystar.co.uk:

recorded the hottest day on record on Tuesday (July 19), thunderstorms could be set to hit the country on Wednesday.The mercury hit 40.3C in the Lincolnshire village of Coningsby as most of the country were left sweltering as the heatwave was cranked up a notch or two.And as temperatures start to dip towards more manageable levels, so there could rumbles of thunder and the crackling sounds of lightning, while some areas could be lashed by heavy showers.READ NEXT: Boy's dream holiday ruined after getting horror sunburn despite using factor 50 suncreamRain did fall across the north east and south of England on Tuesday (July 19) night, while some Brits were the first to witness the power of nature, with several lightning bolts hitting parts of the south-west county.Thermometers are not expected to creep up above 30 on Wednesdaym with a high of 28 expected in eastern parts of the country, which is still pretty warm for the these parts.The Met Office has issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for the south-east, with any rain predicted to clear eastwards throughout the morning, although showers may develop in southern areas, as they move northwards from France.At least 34 parts of the country broke the UK’s previous record high temperature of 38.7C on Tuesday, with Wales setting a record of 37.1C in Hawarden, Flintshire.But the scorchingly hot day – as the heatwave continued – sparked many fires across the country as tinderbox conditions caused by the heat and a distinct lack of rain, saw firefighters overworked.To stay up to date with all the latest news, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.Major incidents were declared in London, along with Leicester, Hertfordshire and South Yorkshire, while fires broke.