On this day in 2004: Intense flash floods hit Cornish village

On August 16th, 2004, an intense line of thunderstorms across Cornwall resulted in severe flooding, focused on the village of Boscastle.

Intense thunderstorms developed across Cornwall by the afternoon, triggered by converging winds from two sea breezes colliding on the peninsula.

This line produced extreme rainfall, with amounts between 150-200 mm in just a few hours. At the peak of the rainfall, 24 mm fell in just 15 minutes, about 4 km up the valley from the small coastal town of Boscastle.

The torrential downpours triggered a devastating flash flood that tore through the small valley, known as a “flashy catchment”, as these small streams in a steep valley are often at risk from flash flooding in conditions seen on that day.

By the end of the day 75 cars, five caravans and several boats were washed into the sea, many homes were damaged and some destroyed completely.

Helicopters helped rescue 150 people, with many other people forced to cling to trees or roofs for safety.

Despite the severity of the flooding, no major injuries or deaths were reported.

People weren't as lucky on the night of August 15th, 1952, when an even more severe flood hit the village of Lynmouth in North Devon in the middle of the night with little warning.

Large parts of the village were destroyed, and 34 people died in the flood, with around 229 mm of rain falling in nearby Exmoor in under 12 hours.