 One man was killed by a lightning strike in Lincolnshire |
Thunderstorms swept across parts of the UK on Sunday, with forecasters warning more rain is on the way for Monday. A model plane enthusiast in his 70s died when he was struck by lightning in Lincolnshire while fetching his glider.
Rail passengers between London and the Midlands face disruption over the Bank Holiday weekend and the half-term week ahead due to engineering works.
Most of the West Coast Main Line will be out of operation for nine days while the track is upgraded.
The engineering works between Watford Junction and Coventry and Stafford will allow Virgin's new high-speed trains to use the route from September.
There were no major hold-ups on the roads on Sunday but traffic is expected to build up on Monday as holidaymakers return home.
Motorists have been urged to drive carefully as thunderstorms and rain cause localised flooding and spray.
Thundery showers and lightning struck in parts of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and the north of Scotland on Sunday.
And heavy rain is expected in the South West going into Monday, with Wales and the Midlands also set to be deluged.
The sun did break through in some areas of the UK on Sunday, with Clacton in Essex recording a high of 70F.
 |  We have to get in there, get it fixed and get out again  |
On Monday, most parts should be warm with sunny spells ahead of a band of rain moving east and north from the South West.
Airport operator BAA said it expected 1.7m passengers to pass through its seven UK airports over the course of the weekend, with Heathrow the busiest with almost 800,000 travellers.
Portland Coastguards co-ordinated a series of rescues for divers who got into difficulties off the south coast.
A spokesman urged divers to ensure they checked their safety equipment and vessels' engines before setting out.
No major traffic hold-ups were reported on Sunday, although the roads were busy on Saturday.
'Engineering feat'
About 80,000 people were expected to drive to Newquay in Cornwall for the Run to the Sun Volkswagen Festival.
Motoring organisations warned of possible congestion on Monday as a result of the West Coast Main Line closure - the biggest for 40 years.
Network Rail said the work - part of a multi-billion pound upgrade - involves track renewals, overhead line work, points replacement, new signalling equipment, level crossing replacement and station work.
Spokesman Robin Gisby called the project "a major engineering feat".
"We just need the next few days to complete some very important work north of Watford and at Rugby," he said.
| Maybe they could cut their journey times further by not stopping at any stations at all? |
Virgin Trains and Silverlink services are the most severely affected, and passengers are advised to use other operators such as Chiltern, Midland Mainline and GNER. "It's more difficult doing it on a live railway so we have to get in there, get it fixed and get out again."
Milton Keynes commuter Gillian Hogg told BBC News Online fast trains through the city would no longer stop at its central station from September.
She said: "It is very galling, therefore, to hear repeated on the hour that the disruption we are suffering will bring improvements to journey times.
'Benefit of passengers'
"Maybe they could cut their journey times further by not stopping at any stations at all?"
Transport Minister Kim Howells defended Network Rail over the timing of the West Coast Main Line engineering work.
He said: "There is no easy time to do this work and the fact is less people use the railway over a Bank Holiday weekend than a typical weekday.
"Thousands of rail workers will be working across the network and giving up their Bank Holiday to deliver a better railway for the benefit of passengers."
Buses are running on shorter routes along the closed line.
Separate works are taking place between Royston and Cambridge, Leicester and Stamford and in north London between Gunnersbury and Camden.
Are you on the move this bank holiday? Have you had a delayed journey? Send us your experiences.
| I think common sense, not money and profits should be the main priority of the rail organisations |
Why do they decide on the busiest times of the year to shut down essential rail links? To me, it makes no common sense. Surely, to minimise disruption they should do maintenance when it is quietest. People complain about the UK's rail service, but the rail managers make it worse for themselves by closing railways when it is at its busiest peak. I think common sense, not money and profits should be the main priority of the rail organisations.
Marcus Gould, Oxford Kindly remember the many hundreds of people from Scotland who will not get home/get south to visit relatives. Not to mention those who need to travel for work. The closure of the West Coast Line doesn't just affect London and Midlands!
Jenny, Scotland
An airfare in my home country, Australia, from Melbourne to Sydney (1000km) is cheaper than a train fare from Manchester to London. Having been to many countries, I can't help notice just how appalling the UK's privatised public transport is compared to normal public transport systems abroad.
Daniel, Manchester
| My outward trip took almost 6 hours rather than the usual 2-3 hours |
I am facing travelling back to London this weekend from Manchester and am not looking forward to the journey. My outward trip - undertaken yesterday, before the start of the disruption - took almost six hours rather than the usual 2-3 hours. The situation seems to be out of control.
Jay Curtis, London, UK I've just returned from Cannes. I took a public bus from Nice to Cannes, a 40 minute journey. It cost 3 Euros for timely, air conditioned luxury. Other countries seem to get their public transport systems working. In the UK, all we can manage is to provide the private rail operators and the banks that finance them with fat profits from the public purse. Meanwhile we face misery on the roads as it is cheaper to drive to London and pay for parking than it is to buy a standard return from Stoke on Trent to London for �150 and take the risk of being late. We all know what the problems are, but we seem to be being abused by politicians who cannot even admit what the real problems are, let alone try to solve them.
Arvinder Mangat, London
As a commuter, I am not on the train this weekend, but 'look forward' to delays next week. However, this is as nothing compared to the news that following the present disruption 'in order to improve the service for everyone', from September, commuters between Milton Keynes and London will not be able to use trains on the Fast lines in the rush hour because they will no longer stop at the central station for the fastest-growing town in the UK, and ALL the trains will be restricted to the slower lines, instead of some of them using the faster lines.
It is very galling, therefore, to hear repeated on the hour that the disruption we are suffering will bring improvements to journey times. Maybe they could cut their journey times further by not stopping at any stations at all?
Gillian Hogg, Milton Keynes, Bucks
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