Britain hit by record lightning storms amid heatwave

On the night of 22‑23 June 2026, southern England experienced an unprecedented thunderstorm, with the Met Office recording roughly 30,000 lightning strikes across the region. The downpours hit London, Somerset, Bristol and the West Country, causing flash flooding, power cuts to hundreds of homes, two residential fires started by lightning and a temporary shutdown of Bristol Airport's air‑traffic control systems. Emergency services received hundreds of calls, and the London Fire Brigade responded to multiple incidents.

The storm occurred as the United Kingdom faced a severe heatwave, with temperatures forecast to approach or exceed 40 °C and a red extreme‑heat warning issued for London and surrounding areas. Schools adjusted schedules and health officials warned vulnerable groups of heat‑related risks. Meteorologists noted that the high temperatures helped destabilise the atmosphere, fostering the intense electrical activity.