Lightning seen in the skies over Bow, East London at 5.30am on Thursday
© Dylan ReynoldsLightning seen in the skies over Bow, East London at 5.30am on Thursday.
England and Wales are set to be battered by thunderstorms on Thursday as the Met Office issued a 12-hour warning for bad weather.

Lightning strikes, sudden flooding, and strong winds are expected between 12pm and midnight the forecaster has said.

It comes after more than 35,000 lightning strikes lit up the skies of southern England overnight - two of which destroyed the roofs of properties in West Sussex.

Overnight, a care home in Elmer, West Sussex, was struck by lightning and sustained damage to its roof, according to West Sussex Fire & Rescue.

A university building in Chichester was also struck, causing damage to its roof and power system, the city's fire service said.




(More here)