Weather: boy, 11, struck by lightning in front of classmates leaving school Students took to social networking sites last night to express their shock at the incident, which came amid the most intense September storm for decades. Paramedics praised the actions of school staff, saying their quick response almost certainly prevented his immediate death. "While we were on route... the better trained first aiders from the school were providing CPR because the patient had in affect been electrocuted and gone into cardiac arrest," said John Oliver, a spokesman for the Great Western Ambulance. Our paramedics took over treatment when they arrived on scene. They got a heart beat and him breathing for himself again on scene. He is in a potentially life-threatening condition. The quick response from school staff and paramedics gave him the best chance of survival. A hospital spokesman said was in a serious but stable condition. English teacher Pippa Smith, 24, said the clap of thunder made teachers scream in shock. "It was very loud and sounded like it was right over head, when the thunder came myself and another teacher just screamed," she said. It was very loud and very scary. There was a really bright light and then the bang. It only struck once. A spokesman for the large school, which specialises in technology for pupils aged 11-16, is located next to a busy sports centre, was unavailable for comment. Elsewhere, residents in the North were still battling flood waters, with some rendered homeless as rivers burst their banks. As swathes of the country were hit by severe conditions for a fourth consecutive day, residents across southern England were braced for the storm's return amid mounting fears many will not be covered by insurance. Authorities last night warned of more flooding after the worst September storm for 30 years left 400 homes and businesses flooded and caused widespread destruction and chaos. The road and rail network struggled to return to normal, with delays and disruptions reported across many train services while major roads remained closed. The downpours raised concerns about the progress of talks between the Government and the industry on the future provision of insurance for homes in flood-prone areas. The Met Office warned of further rain and strong winds as the weather system moved south but forecasters said the bad conditions would gradually ease off towards the end of the week. The Environment Agency issued more than 60 flooding warnings for the Midlands, the entire North and North Wales while almost 100 less serious flood alerts were in place for almost the entire country. Officials warned rivers including the Ouse, which flows through York, and the Dane, which flows through Crewe, Nantwich and Northwich, had yet to peak and posed a real risk of flooding. "Flooding has a devastating impact on people, families and communities," said Alison Baptiste, the EA flood risk manager. We would urge people, especially in the north of England, to continue to be prepared for flooding, sign up for free flood warnings, keep up to date with the latest situation, and stay away from dangerous flood water. Residents and business owners in Cumbria, Co Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and Teeside began a massive clean-up operation yesterday following three days of torrential rain provoked Residents of a block of townhouses in Newburn, Newcastle, were among those facing a second night homeless after floodwater gouged out the ground beneath the building, which remained cordoned off over mounting safety fears. Blood stocks have been affected this week with floods causing disruptions in many parts of the country. Stocks of blood groups O Rh negative and B Rh negative are under pressure, as demand from hospitals continues. With the insurance bill set to rise, local authority leaders admitted that councils were facing multi-million pound road repair bills that many would be unable to meet. The Local Government Association yesterday called on the Government to set up an emergency fund to help pay for damage bill left by poor weather.