Trains are still being delayed on the Norwich to Lowestoft and Norwich to Great Yarmouth lines after storms hit earlier today.

Eastern Daily Press: Another hot day on the beach at Gorleston.Picture: James BassAnother hot day on the beach at Gorleston.Picture: James Bass (Image: Archant Norfolk © 2014)

There are delays of up to 20 minutes on the services, with rail replacement buses on standby until 6pm to replace services which may be cancelled at short notice.

The Ipswich to Lowestoft via Saxmundham line is also experiencing delays of up to 12 minutes as trains run at reduced speeds.

The problems were caused by a lightning strike at Brundall this morning which affected signalling.

The B1454 road was blocked for a time this morning at the A149 Lynn Road junction due to an overturned car. It is now open. The A47 at Acle was affected for a time due to a crash.

The A1064 Main Road in Filby is also partially blocked at the Thrigby Road junction, due to an accident involving a car and a moped.

No more details are yet available.

Temperatures are expected to soar again to up to 30C over the weekend and there could be more storms later today and tomorrow.

Chris Bell, a forecaster for UEA-based Weatherquest, said that by lunchtime on Friday Santon Downham, on the Norfolk/Suffolk border, had reached 29 degrees Celsius and Marham 27 degrees Celsius. At Norwich International Airport the temperature had reached 26 degrees Celsius and at Great Yarmouth 23 degrees Celsius.

In contrast, at Weybourne in north Norfolk the temperature has been a much cooler 19C.

Meteorologist Jim Bacon, Weatherquest's managing director, said it was likely that 'hot, humid weather with the thunderstorms that go with it' would last throughout the weekend.

'The warm air has moved over from France and we are getting an increasing chance of thundery showers developing which could be locally very heavy,' he said, adding that while some areas may experience heavy downpours other places may escape the rain altogether.

The Met Office has issued an amber warning for rain, starting tonight and continuing through Saturday, warning of torrential downpours and a risk of localised flooding, and the Highways Agency is also urging drivers to take extra care on the roads during the expected heavy, thundery showers.

Simon Sheldon-Wilson, director of traffic management at the Highways Agency, said: 'While this weather should not prevent people from making a journey, it's important that drivers are aware of the forecast and drive appropriately.

'Rain and spray can reduce visibility and when the road is wet it can take up to twice as long to stop so it makes sense to slow down when it's raining and leave plenty of space between you and the vehicle in front. It's also a good idea to check the latest conditions before setting out on a journey – it only takes a minute and can save you a lot of time if there is an incident on your route.'