It’s well-known that Brits love to moan about the weather, so it was no surprise that social media users came together on Twitter to discuss the somewhat apocalyptic weather savaging the south-east in the early hours of Friday morning.
It seemed like pretty much everyone was awake at 4am thanks to the thunder and lightning.
Many abandoned sleep to enjoy the dramatic displays...
Many commented on the sense of camaraderie that the storms had brought...
Of course, many also bemoaned their sleep being disturbed...
This map from BBC weather shows where thunderstorms were striking in the night:
The weather front is due to send temperatures tumbling ahead of the weekend, just days after parts of the country baked in 34C (93F) heat.
A yellow weather warning is in place for much of England today, rising to amber along a narrow corridor west of London where “exceptionally heavy, thundery rain” accompanied by hail is expected,the Press Association reported.
A train derailed near Watford Junction after being hit by a landslide caused by flooding and Didcot Parkway station was submerged by floodwater.
Flash flooding also hit parts of the South East as thunderstorms washed away the recent heatwave, dumping almost half a month’s rain in a few hours.
There were reports of roads and properties being inundated across Surrey, Hampshire, Hertfordshire and Greater London as a band of torrential rain moved in from the Channel overnight, prompting the Environment Agency to issue a series of flood warnings.
Surrey Fire and Rescue Service said it had been called to reports of a house struck by lightning near Woking, while crews worked to pump water out of flooded premises across the county.
Transport for London said two Tube stations in west London were closed due to flooding, while there were reports of disruption on the M4.