Lightning storms and excellent pictures strike Britain at same time

Lightning struck Britain 3,000 times last night ahead of what should be the hottest day of the year, and there were some stunning pictures taken across the country:

The view over Fistral Beach in Cornwall taken by self-confessed atmospheric electricity fanatic Lewis Pinder

A picture taken in Epsom, Surrey just after 3am (Picture: Stuart Tree)

The view over Mounts Bay in Cornwall (Picture: Neal Allen)

Another photo taken at Mounts Bay (Picture: Neal Allen)

The view over Brighton (Picture: David Gray)

A picture taken in Broseley, Shropshire (Picture: Mchale Morris)

The Metropolitan Police Service's helicopter division was forced to stay grounded while the storm hit the capital (Picture: Metropolitan Police)