Heavy rain and storms bring flash floods to south Wales

An elderly couple had to be rescued from their home as storms and intense downpours caused flash flooding across south Wales.

Cardiff and Cwmbran were worst hit with homes and businesses affected as well as the M4.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said they received 115 calls with incidents also in Penarth in the Vale of Glamorgan and Bettws in Newport.

Murch Primary School in Dinas Powys will be shut on Friday due to flooding.

The majority of calls to the fire service came from the Cwmbran area where the couple were helped to safety.

There were also 22 requests for sandbags, including at a factory on Llantarnam industrial estate which was affected by three to four inches of water.

Asda in Cwmbran was evacuated after water came in through the roof, affecting the electrics, while there was also a report of flooding reaching the ground floor window level of a house in Pontnewydd.

Flash flooding affected roads in Cardiff causing problems for traffic

A deluge hit Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, at around 14:00 BST on Thursday

A huge crack was left in the wall after water came through a Penarth resident's home

One lane of the M4 at the Brynglas tunnels in Newport was closed due to flooding but has since re-opened.

The fire service said as the storm moved eastwards it appeared to be activating fire alarms at premises along its route.

Earlier, lightning was recorded in Penarth, Cardiff, Newport, Cwmbran, Pontypool and Ebbw Vale.

Staff at a restaurant in Penarth used brushes to sweep away water which began to seep through the door.

Rhiannon Hartland, manager of Romeo's By The Sea, said none of the customers could leave because of the torrential rain which were at its worst around 14:00 BST.

"The water came inside a bit and the carpet is ruined," she said. "But it shouldn't have reached here."

Penarth resident Tiger McLeod was left with a crack in his wall after water came through his house and a garden wall collapsed into the basement.

"It's structurally unsafe at the moment and we have to wait for the council to come to see if it's safe to go back in there," he said.

The flooding followed a severe weather warning by the Met Office which was issued on Wednesday.

It had warned of heavy rain moving in from England bringing the risk of surface water flooding across south and mid Wales.

Damage was caused to a factory in Swansea which eyewitnesses say was struck by lightning