By Luke Salkeld, from Mail Online, England
These astonishing scenes are the aftermath of a deluge of hailstones that buried a town in a river of ice.
Ottery St Mary, in Devon, was plunged into chaos by the storm in the early hours yesterday.
First, the area was battered by an astonishing 12in of hail in just two hours.
Ottery St Mary, in Devon, was plunged into chaos by the storm in the early hours yesterday.
First, the area was battered by an astonishing 12in of hail in just two hours.
More than 100 people had to be evacuated from their homes and 25 were airlifted to safety or rescued by firefighters.
After a day of heavy rain on Wednesday more than three inches of rain and hail fell between 6pm and 8am yesterday morning.
The Met Office said the 'hugely localised' weather system was less than 4 miles across and seemed ' to be centred on Ottery St Mary'.
The most severe weather hit just after midnight on Thursday but by 5am the entire town was cut off and coastguards scrambled helicopters to airlift residents.
After a day of heavy rain on Wednesday more than three inches of rain and hail fell between 6pm and 8am yesterday morning.
The Met Office said the 'hugely localised' weather system was less than 4 miles across and seemed ' to be centred on Ottery St Mary'.
The most severe weather hit just after midnight on Thursday but by 5am the entire town was cut off and coastguards scrambled helicopters to airlift residents.
