Swimmers in the Black Country will not be able to use a main pool in the area for up to another week because of serious flood damage.

Central Baths in Wolverhampton was today still closed following Monday’s thunderstorms which caused three-and-a-half feet of rainwater to swamp the plant room. The city’s council chiefs say that the cost of repairs could run into thousands of pounds and they could not give swimmers any idea when the pool would be re-opened.

The flood at the Bath Avenue centre affected the electrical systems controlling the pumps, boilers, circulation system and the air handling system.

Wolverhampton City Council spokeswoman Julia Corrigan said: “There is extensive damage to the plant room, which is at the bottom of a small slope down which water cascaded as a result of the heavy rainfall during the storm.

“The estimated cost of repair work is likely to run into thousands of pounds.

“It is hoped the pool will re-open next week. The other facilities at Central Baths – the fitness suite, steam room, aerobics and activity rooms – have been open as normal since Tuesday afternoon.”

“Graiseley Community Healthy Living Centre which was closed on Tuesday afternoon and evening due to most of its downstairs rooms being waterlogged re-opened as normal on Wednesday”.

But she said it was not yet possible to put a more exact figure on the damage, which will be covered by insurance.

Central Baths flooded in 1994 and again in 1997 when they were closed for a week in almost identical incidents where two feet of rainwater got into the pump room.

During Monday’s floods the fire service was swamped by almost 400 calls as half a month’s rain fell on the West Midlands in less than three hours.

Roads around the Black Country had to be shut and flash floods swept homes and shops across the area.

A house in Kidderminster was hit by lightning, while a taxi driver in Wolverhampton had to be rescued from his stranded cab by firemen.