UMVA has learned that a sudden and violent thunderstorm swept through London last night, catching residents off guard and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
The storm brought heavy rain and thunder to the city for over two hours, with more than 3,000 lightning strikes recorded. The London Fire Brigade was inundated with over 400 calls of flooding and two housefires linked to lightning strikes.
London resident Adam Schwarz described the storm as one of the biggest and longest he could remember in his 35 years in the city, saying: 'It’s 3.45am in London and it’s been thunderstorming for almost two straight hours.'
Another resident echoed his sentiments, saying: 'I have never heard thunder so loud in my life.' However, not everyone was affected, with one commentator saying: 'I had a good sleep, I didn’t hear anything.'
The storm caused widespread disruption, with Balham Tube Station closed due to flash flooding and a portion of the Elizabeth Line suspended. The London Fire Brigade urged drivers not to drive through flooded areas.
Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne praised the efforts of firefighters and control officers, saying: 'It has been a very busy night for our control officers, firefighters and officers.' The brigade implemented its high-volume call procedure to prioritize flooding calls and diverted surplus emergency calls to unaffected fire and rescue service control rooms.
The rain has since passed, but the London Fire Brigade is still working through outstanding calls and responding to emergencies across the city.
