The storm damaged the roof above a Cardiff fish and chip shop

Six people were re-housed from Riverside, Cardiff, after a lightning strike. Train signals were affected, hitting First Great Western services.

Firefighters in north and south Wales dealt with floods, including the westbound M4 from junctions 23A to 24.

A series of severe weather warnings have been issued for south and west Wales, with heavy rain expected.

On the M4 in south Wales, one lane was closed during the early rush hour and a speed restriction of 50mph was enforced between the junctions for Llanmartin and the Coldra.

It was a shock but I knew exactly what it was when it happened Qasim Din on the lightning strike

Further delays were caused by an accident on the westbound carriageway of the M48 before Magor, where a car overturned. Two lanes were blocked.

An elderly couple in Cwmbran were treated for shock after their house was hit by lightning.

The roof of flats above a fish and chip shop in Tudor Street, Riverside, Cardiff, was also damaged by lightning, and six people had to be moved from the property.

Clearing up after the lightning strike in Riverside, Cardiff

Debris from the roof covered the pavement in front of the Riverside Fish Bar, which was closed on Friday.

Qasim Din, whose family own and live above a neighbouring newsagents on Tudor Street, heard a bang when the lightning struck. When he and his father investigated for damage, they discovered their shop had sprung a large leak by the front door.

"It was a massive bang," said Mr Din, whose family run the 8 Till Late store. "I did not think our house had been struck but it was obvious it was nearby.

"It was a shock but I knew exactly what it was when it happened."

Habib Miah, who runs the Al Islah food store next door to the property struck by lightning, said his meat-cutting machine had stopped working and his telephone line was down the morning after the storm.

"One of my regular customers lives next door and has been re-homed," he said. "She said her ears were ringing from the noise this morning."

Power failures caused by the thunder storms affected two of Welsh water's water treatment works.

Interruptions

Both works were back up and running on Friday morning but Welsh Water said people in the Cwmbran area may have experienced low water pressure. People living in high-lying areas also faced the possibility of interruptions to their water supply, said a Welsh Water spokeswoman.

"All water supplies should be restored by Friday afternoon," she said.

The fire service also attended floods in Caldicot and Chepstow and there were reports of several homes being struck by lightning.

The reports of flooding in north Wales came from Llandudno Junction, Bangor and Colwyn Bay, although none were said to be serious.

Trains delayed by the storms included the 0440 Cardiff to Portsmouth service, the 0600 Cardiff to Penzance and the 0630 Cardiff to Bristol train was cancelled.

Rainfall totals were expected to reach 25mm in some places.

Drivers were advised to take extra care and refer to Traffic Wales for further advice on road conditions.