London thunderstorms cause travel disruption, fires and flooding

Live updates

1. 1h ago

   Severe thunderstorms trigger flooding and fires in London

   Torrential rain and lightning strikes hit London and southern England. The storms caused flash floods and sparked house fires. Travel disruptions followed the overnight weather events.

   What's confirmed:

   • Severe thunderstorms caused flash flooding, travel disruptions, and lightning-linked fires across London and southern England.
   • Torrential rain sparked flash floods.

   Still unconfirmed:

   • The London Fire Brigade handled approximately 400 calls.
   • Storms precede a heatwave with temperatures expected to reach 39C.
   • Storms woke thousands of people overnight.
   confidence 80%
2. 5d ago

   Thunderstorms Hit London and Southern England Before Heatwave

   Severe thunderstorms caused flash flooding, travel disruptions, and lightning-linked fires across London and southern England. The London Fire Brigade handled approximately 400 calls, primarily regarding flooding. These storms precede a heatwave with temperatures expected to reach 39C.

   What's confirmed:

   • The London Fire Brigade received some 400 calls since midnight, mostly involving flooding.
   • Thunderstorms caused flash flooding and travel disruption across parts of England.
   • Lightning strikes ignited multiple house fires.
   • Around 29,000 lightning strikes occurred across southern England.
   • Travel disruptions affected Heathrow Airport and TfL services.
   • Heathrow recorded 36.4C on Friday, surpassing the previous London June record of 35.6C set in Camden in 1957.

   Still unconfirmed:

   • Schools were forced to close as Britain braced for the hottest June day.
   • Intensive storms led to at least two house fires in London.
   confidence 95%