lighting over Worthing, UK
© Twitter/@Ch0kkaAmazing images emerged on social media of forked lightning crackling in the sky above Worthing
Lightning turned night into day across the UK after thunderstorms battered much of southern Britain overnight causing flash floods which ripped through a Cornish village.

A four-foot torrent of water has ripped through Coverack, Cornwall, on Tuesday night, tearing up roads and damaging homes, while lightning was also believed to have been the cause of a fire in east Sussex.

Rescue services were also sent out to pump water out of properties in the south east overnight after heavy downpours caused water levels to rise.

Meanwhile teams in Kent spent two hours overnight removing water from homes in Tunbridge Wells after sixty emergency calls were made in less than an hour including reports of more than 3ft of water in some properties.

Today more warnings are in place for thunder, heavy rain and possible hail across almost the whole of England and Wales apart from the South Coast, with potential for 1.2in of rain in an hour, or even up to 2in (50mm) of rain where conditions linger.

Emergency services said the first reports of flooding came in from Coverack around 3.40pm, before a major incident was declared at 5.20pm as at least seven people were trapped, including six on a rooftop.

Coastguard helicopters were filmed winching a 70-year-old couple from their home after they also got stranded.


Commuters in the Midlands and east of England could be caught up in downpours this morning, while those in north-east Wales and the North West will bear the brunt this afternoon, Steven Keates from the Met Office said.

'This morning it's probably going to be parts of the Midlands and eastern England that see potential for some heavy rain, some thunderstorms, and then a bit of a lull,' he said.

'Then just in time for the evening rush hour, a different location, this time across parts of northern England, north-west England in particular by the looks of it, will see the worst of the weather in places.'

He said the nature of the thunderstorms would be 'hit and miss' and that the showers should move through the country 'relatively quickly'.

After a warm night, temperatures are expected to remain high on Wednesday for parts of eastern England where the mercury could rise to the low 30s, Mr Keates added.

Many on social media were equally impress and afraid of the storms, with several remarking how beautiful yet terrifying the lightning was.


But others were just annoyed the loud thunder woke them up in the middle of the night ahead of 'long days at work'.

In Coverack fifty homes were affected by the flooding, though fortunately everyone was evacuated without a single injury reported, a council spokesperson said. An emergency centre has been established in Cornwall's County Hall.

Shocking footage showed how the main road into the town was torn to pieces by the sheer weight of water passing over it, with at least two torrents pouring over the sea wall and into the ocean below.

Locals said the flooding was like 'an apocalypse' and compared it to Boscastle - another Cornish town that was devastated by flash flooding back in 2004.

The storms moved north and east, with Bracknell, Basingstoke, Guilford, Reading and High Wycombe all hit overnight. Forecasters have also predicted more heavy rain for today.

flash flood in Coverack, Cornwall
The village of Coverack in Cornwall has been hit by major flash flooding after storms dumped more than an inch of rain on the area in just a few hours on Tuesday afternoon
Wendy Davies, who lives in Coverack, said her garden was destroyed but feared many others had lost everything and described it as a scene out of a disaster movie.

She said: 'It is pretty shocking. The rescue helicopter is here getting people out and there are about ten fire engines all over the village.

'Everyone I have spoken to has been flooded in the village and it is still coming down the main road with immense force.

'A poor couple near to us had to make a quick getaway to the top floor. I think they have now been rescued.

'When I eventually got out of the house the hailstones were so bad it looked apocalyptic. It was like something out of a disaster movie.

'The whole sea wall was like the Niagara Falls. It was really horrific. There was debris everywhere and furniture being washed away.

'It is very upsetting. My garden is totally trashed. We had just an old retaining wall that it came straight through.

'The fire fighters are currently going door to door to make sure everyone is ok.

'But this is the worst storm I have ever been in. It went on for nearly two hours and the hailstones were huge. I have had smaller ice cubes in my drink.

'An ice cream shop was flooded and people were sheltering in there. They had to barricade the door until help came and had a lot of customers in at the time.

'It is such a shame.'

The owner of a cafe in the village also described seeing helicopters winching people to safety.

Chloe Marsland says the sudden rush of water was almost instantaneous.

She added: 'It's like Boscastle all over again, there is no business or house not been affected.

'It's absolutely harrowing. The house opposite me filled with water really quickly.

'The fire service are unblocking the drains, it's stopped raining now, so they're trying to create a flow down the street to get rid of the water.'

Chloe said that as far as she's aware, everybody was safe but her garage was flooded with around 12 inches of water.

She added: 'The village is completely cut off, we cannot get across north corner.

'They're not letting anyone cross the roads and the torrents.'

The small village is currently at the height of its tourist season, with many people on holiday and staying in holiday lets.

Dick Powell, who owns a B&B in the village said there were half a dozen fire engines in the centre of the village, with the coastguard helicopter helping to remove people from their homes.

He said the main road in and out of the village, the B3294, was 'broken up completely' by the weight of the surface water running down towards the sea.

Fire and rescue workers told people to avoid the area completely as the rains struck at around 7pm last night, warning drivers not to enter floodwater.

Warnings were earlier issued for England and Wales for Tuesday evening and through Wednesday by the Met Office and Environment Agency.

The wet and stormy weather will herald a breakdown of the warm conditions and a return to sunshine and showers, with a fresher feel.

Nicola Maxey, spokesman for the Met Office, said: 'With very warm air comes instability in the atmosphere, which creates thunderstorms.

'The warm temperatures will continue into Wednesday in the south, continuing the risk of thunder. The weather warnings cover a wide area because we do not know exactly where the storms will occur.'

The Met Office also warns that 'frequent lightning may be an additional hazard with potential for disruption to power networks'.

The normal rainfall total for the whole of July in southern England is 2.4in (60mm).