The Island’s prolonged dry spell broke yesterday, with more than an inch of rain falling by 4pm — leaving some areas awash, and causing authorities to issue a severe weather warning.For Spanish Point residents Leonie and Seamus Macloughlin, the change in weather was heralded by “a massive loud bang that continued for maybe 30 seconds”, as a freak vortex of wind shook their home at 6am.Bermuda Weather Service head Mark Guishard said 50-knot blasts of wind had been picked up around the Island, including one recorded at about 6am at Commissioner’s Point, which corroborated the Macloughlins’ experience.The downpour also brought a familiar misery for Mills Creek businesses, as the waterway invaded the surrounding road.Bursts of torrential rainfall caused Pembroke Canal to spill over into a few low-lying areas upstream, such as along Woodlands Road.“Same old, same old,” was the verdict of Jim Ferguson, President of Tops Limited on Mill Creek Road.His business was once again surrounded by water, he said, despite the new sluice gate completed at the canal’s mouth a few weeks ago.“The new bridge was supposed to eliminate this problem,” Mr Ferguson added, “but there’s water from Pitts Bay Road all the way in.“Everyone’s thankful for the rain, no question about it. But our sales staff have had to travel through a flood. We’re down by the exit, and the water is just not going out.”However, a Public Works spokesman responded: “Due to the low-lying nature of the Millks Creek area, and the restricted flow of the canal, the installation of the new sluice gate alone cannot entirely remove the risk of flooding.”The sluice was found to be working efficiently during the middle of the rainstorm, the spokesman added, saying litter and other debris dumped in the three-mile Pembroke Canal was a major contributor to floods.About 650 acres of land drains into the canal. With a “vigorous cold front” passing over Bermuda, the inch of rain in 24 hours inundated the waterway.For the Macloughlins and their three young children, what sounded like a “mini tornado” made for a frightening start to the day.“We were woken up by a very loud noise right outside our window,” Mrs Macloughlin said. “We didn’t know what it was, and we were scared to go to the window and look out. It seemed like ages.”A treehouse was torn down, and an outdoor paddle pool wedged into their bedroom shutters, while heavy outdoor furniture was smashed. A 15-foot children’s’ trampoline also got carried away.“We’re gutted, because it will cost a lot of money to replace, but we’re just glad nobody was hurt,” she said.Dr Guishard said radar had picked up “areas of rotation” to the Island’s northwest, leading to a Severe Weather Watch at 3pm, but added: “No tornadoes have been detected upstream, approaching the island, although the likelihood of localised severe conditions cannot be ruled out.”The weekend ahead is forecast to be cooler and less humid, as a new high pressure system builds from the west.Fair conditions are expected, with further rain possible early next week.