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Tom Levitt, MSN News

The UK's most extreme weather

The scene after a wall of water tore through the picturesque tourist spot of Boscastle in north Cornwall in 2004 (Image © Barry Batchelor/PA Archive/Press Association Images)

Every so often the usually mild and predictable climate in the UK is interrupted by a dose of extremely severe weather.

Five years ago today, on August 16, 2004, flash floods devastated the village of Boscastle in north Cornwall. 

Six centimetres (two inches) of rain fell in two hours, causing a 'wall of water' to race through the coastal resort.

Hundreds needed to be rescued. Several buildings collapsed and over 50 cars were swept away.

Such violent and unexpected incidents remain thankfully rare in this country. Britain is still a largely temperate country, albeit one hit by occasional bursts of dramatic conditions that become imprinted on our memories. 

Click through the images below to discover some of the most extreme weather incidents to hit the UK.

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