TORNADOS, heavy rain, thunder and lightning which have blighted Suffolk were today expected to make way for more seasonal weather.The recent tropical conditions have left the county wondering where summer has gone - but a more settled, warmer and drier outlook is forecast for the next few days.

TORNADOS, heavy rain, thunder and lightning which have blighted Suffolk were today expected to make way for more seasonal weather.

The recent tropical conditions have left the county wondering where summer has gone - but a more settled, warmer and drier outlook is forecast for the next few days.

While parts of Europe have basked in searing temperatures as high as 46 degrees, the UK has taken a soaking.

Extreme weather in Rendlesham meant ten-year-old Clarice Lloyd was able to make castles out of the hail which fell in her back garden last night. Her dad, Colin, 34, said the hail stones were as big as marbles.

Elsewhere, a lightning conductor did its job in protecting a church as the freak electrical storm swept across the Felixstowe peninsula.

Witnesses said Trimley St Mary Church took a direct hit from a bolt of lightning - but the conductor sent the charge straight into the ground and the ancient tower stood firm.

People watched in amazement as torrential rain, lightning and claps of thunder broke out while the sun shone.

Meanwhile, in Woodbridge residents said a “mini-tornado” struck a row of shops and houses, causing hundreds of pounds' damage.

Strong winds struck properties in Warwick Avenue in the town at about 6.30pm, ripping off roof tiles and sending garden furniture flying through the air.

Dave Keeble, 36, who lives in Warwick Avenue, was working at the living quarters of the Convenience Stores in the road when the freak weather hit.

“It looked a bit stormy and all of sudden it started raining heavily and there was a tremendous amount of wind,” he said.

“The damage was quite bad, there were six to eight houses with roof files blown off and the shops were all hit.”

The Convenience Stores suffered damage to the roof and staff at the New Peking Chinese take-away said they had also been hit by the strong winds.

Rail passengers heading home from London faced chaos after lightning struck a sub-station at Romford, knocking out overhead cables and signalling and causing delays of more than an hour.

Services were back to normal today.

There were more outbreaks of thunder last night, unusual considering the cooler weather according to Evening Star weatherman Ken Blowers.

He said: “They tend to follow warmer conditions. The temperatures have been about 68f/20C which is not that warm. But we have had several days where large clouds, known as cumulonimbus, have developed.

“They can go up three or four miles and the worst can hold about 2,000 tonnes of water. If they pour out in one place, you will have a flood.”

He said temperatures were expected to increase to around 72f/22C today and tomorrow, with less rainfall forecast, while the weekend should also be brighter.

Fed up with the weather or enjoying a sweat-free summer? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk