Morning:
8°c
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Bank holiday washout was one of coldest on record
Last updated at 08:37am on 29.05.07We had already suffered the great washout over the weekend. And yesterday - to complete the misery - came the big chill.
Arctic winds swept across the country at speeds of up to 50mph in one of the coldest Whitsun Bank Holidays since records began in 1772.
Sleet lashed the Chilterns while hail battered cricket fans at Headingley. Beaches were deserted as rain continued to pour down across the country. The AA said thousands cut their long weekends short to battle appalling road conditions.
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The picture above shows a driver trying to negotiate a flood in Harpenden, Hertfordshire.
Across the East of England, more than 74,000 homes were left without electricity as high winds and heavy rain brought down power lines. Last night more than 4,000 homes were still without power.
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Three inches of rain fell over 24 hours in some areas with St Catherine's Point on the Isle of Wight the most rain-soaked place. Dozens of homes and businesses in Suffolk were affected by floods.
In Devon, three teenage boys were dramatically winched out of a tree by an RAF helicopter after floodwaterengulfed their camping spot by the River Exe. After climbing to safety, the boys had raised the alarm using a mobile phone.
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The average temperature in the Midlands and central England was 46f (8c), and 50f-55f (10c-13c) elsewhere - well under the May average of 63f (17c). In High Wycombe, the temperatures fell to as low as 41f (5c) - less than the January average of 43f (6c).
According to the Met Office, the outlook for the rest of the week is better with temperatures gradually rising, although rain will continue to affect some areas. Further afield, storms, landslides, flash floods and lightning killed at least 18 people in France, Greece and Turkey.
Reader views (2)
Oh my goodness! What wickedly horrible weekend weather. It was truly not a holiday for many of you.
May the sun shine brightly upon you and yours today!
- Bonnee, Woodbridge Virginia, USA, 29/05/2007 16:18
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You obviously have to be in the right place. I was in Cornwall on Monday. We had brilliant sunshine all day right up to 7 O'clock at night. It was a little windy though, but really quite warm out of the wind.
- Patrick Griffin, London, 29/05/2007 09:35
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