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The West Midlands is set to batten down the hatches following a tornado warning - almost 10 years since a wild weather system carved a path of destruction through Birmingham, injuring 19 people.

The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (Torro) has issued a tornado watch warning for parts of the UK, including parts of our region.

Hailstones up to 50mm (two inches) in diameter with winds of 60mph are forecast for later today. Spectacular lightning is predicted during isolated thunderstorms as early sunshine is shrouded cloud and humidity.

The tornado research group said a hot and moist plume of air is destabilising conditions with a thunderstorm already recorded in the south west Midlands and moving towards the Birmingham area.

It said the system was “capable of large hail, damaging winds, and perhaps isolated tornadoes.”

The tornado on July 28, 2005, was one of the strongest ever recorded in the UK.

It struck during early afternoon in the Sparkbrook area and also affected King’s Heath, Moseley and Balsall Heath.

The main storm damage occurred in Ladypool Road, which bore the brunt of the destruction. Ladypool Primary School was extensively damaged and its distinctive tower was destroyed. Churches were badly damaged and several homes were wrecked by the winds.

Temperatures topped 31C (88F) this morning in the city before it clouded over, shrouding the area in grey cloud and humidity.

There were even light rain showers in Birmingham city centreand Erdington as the UK experienced its hottest day in nine years.

Parts of the UK were hotter than Barcelona and Athens.

There will be a short-lived respite from the heat and heavy conditions tomorrow when it will feel fresher. However temperatures will still reach the high 20sC.

Friday will become hot again with lots of sunshine and temperatures up to 30C (86F).

However it will become much more unstable from the south west, with a risk of some severe storms in the evening.

Flash flooding, lots of lightning, large hailstones and gusty winds are predicted, according to Leon Brown, of Birmingham-based The Weather Channel.

Next week will be more unsettled and turning cooler with showers at times.

Meanwhile, bookmakers Coral have slashed the odds on it being Britain’s hottest ever summer from 4-1 to 3-1.

They said the chance that a hosepipe ban will be introduced somewhere in the UK is an odds-on favourite at 1-3.

And Coral said it is odds-on at 10-11 that Wimbledon 2015 will be the hottest tournament in its history, beating the previous record of 35.6C (96F) in 1976.