UK FLOODS SPARK Panic After 30,000 Lightning Strikes Rock Communities
— Overnight, more than 30,000 lightning strikes slammed the UK. Violent storms brought flooding and blackouts across southern England. Kent was hit hardest — homes in Dover were underwater and roads closed after heavy rain late Friday. Utility workers rushed to restore power as emergency crews helped stranded drivers and watched rising water.
Flood alerts stretched across the region. The Environment Agency put out 49 warnings while police blocked major roads like the A256 in Tilmanstone. Locals said it was “the worst” storm they could remember.
The trouble didn’t end with floods. In East Sussex, lightning likely sparked a house fire in St Leonards-on-Sea. Downpours caused a landslip in Devon that shut down train service between Exeter and Okehampton.
This wild weather came right after Britain’s hottest day of the year — and just before London’s Trooping the Colour event for the royal family. Emergency teams are staying alert as forecasters warn of more storms, hail, and strong winds through the weekend.
