Overview
- Emergency services responded in the early hours of Saturday after Joint Fire Control logged multiple 999 calls and crews dispatched up to four fire engines to each scene.
- Fire services confirmed lightning directly struck homes in Selmeston Road, Eastbourne; Long Avenue, Bexhill; and Thatcher Close, Crawley, and that the properties suffered serious damage.
- No injuries were reported and several incidents were brought under control or scaled down after overnight re-inspections, with crews continuing to damp down hot spots into the morning.
- The Met Office had issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for London, the East and the South East warning of frequent lightning, torrential downpours and possible short-term power or transport disruption.
- The storms followed a record June heatwave that left very warm air near the surface beneath cooler air aloft, a setup that increases instability and the chance of intense lightning and heavy, localized rain.