TORRENTIAL storms and overnight rain has caused havoc on the roads as Berkshire woke up this morning.

About half a month's rain fell in just a few hours, as thunderstorms lit up the night sky.

A family in Caversham were loudly woken when a lightning bolt hit their roof.

The bolt blew a hole through the roof and damaged the electrics inside the home.

Anne Baker, who lives nearby, said: "It was around about 6 o'clock this morning.

"There was the loudest crack of lightning and thunder I have heard in my life.

"It was so loud it woke both my children up. They ran into my room terrified, one though Caversham was being bombed.

"It knew it was nearby and when I looked out the window I thought I'd see a house on fire.

"The family were outside when the two fire appliances arrived."

The fire crew from Dee Road fire station were sent to the scene. They isolated the electrics and patched the hole in the roof.

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The Vastern Road underpass is underwater after last night's torrential downpour.

Flood warnings have been issued around waterways in Calcot, Southcote, Whitley, Caversham, and Pangbourne.

Met Office meteorologist Martin Combe said 32.8mm of rain had fallen in just three hours in Farnborough, Hampshire - nearly half the 70mm average for September.

He said: "The showers and thunderstorms are going to carry on for quite some time moving slowly north and eastwards, remaining around London through the morning and all afternoon in East Anglia."

Pictures on social media show severely waterlogged rail stations and roads, including Didcot Parkway, Newbury and Chieveley stations across Berkshire and Oxfordshire.

Water can be seen rising up stairwells and partly submerging ticket barriers at Didcot Parkway station.

Fire chiefs warned drivers to avoid flooded roads. They said the rain had been as heavy as the storm that caused major flooding in winter 2014 but more localised .

There is disruption to the M4 at the A34 junction with Newbury, and Norreys Drive, Wootton Way, Queen Street, Braywick Road and part of the High Street in Maidenhead, which are all being closed.

Two lanes and the entry slip road to the M4 westbound at junction 8/9 (Maidenhead) were closed this morning.

Newbury station was flooded overnight and rail services were unable to stop at the station.

The weather front is due to send temperatures tumbling ahead of the weekend, just days after parts of the country baked in 34C (93F) heat.