London divided by those who got sleep and those who didn’t after epic thunderstorm

A sudden and violent thunderstorm in London last night caught residents by surprise, waking many and sparking flash floods.

In the middle of the night, London was battered for more than two hours by heavy rain as thunder rumbled and more than 3,000 lightning strikes were recorded.

The London Fire Brigade had their hands full as well, responding to over 400 calls of flooding and two housefires linked to lightning strikes.

London resident Adam Schwarz wrote on X: ‘It’s 3.45am in London and it’s been thunderstorming for almost two straight hours. One of the biggest and longest storms I can remember in my almost 35 years in this city.’

Another added: ‘I have never heard thunder so loud in my life.’

Not every Londoner heard the ground-shaking storm, however.

‘I had a good sleep, I didn’t hear anything,’ one commentator added.

Today, Balham Tube Station was closed due to flash flooding. A portion of the Elizabeth Line has also been suspended.

Thunderstorms following soaring temperatures caused flash flooding in the capital, the LFB said, as it urged drivers not to drive through flooded areas.

Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said this morning: ‘It has been a very busy night for our control officers, firefighters and officers. Shortly after 4 am, due to a large number of calls received by the brigade, we implemented our high-volume call procedure, which means flooding calls where there is a risk to life are prioritised, and crews then attend other calls as non-emergencies when they can.

‘Operation Willow Beck was also temporarily stood up. Introduced in 2022 nationally by the Home Office and National Chiefs Fire Council, this is a pre-determined 999 call distribution procedure, which, during times of extreme demand, can divert surplus emergency calls to unaffected fire and rescue service control rooms.

‘I’d like to thank all of those colleagues in other fire rescue services who assisted us overnight, as well as our own staff for their hard work and professionalism during this busy period.’

The rain has since passed, but LFB is working through outstanding calls and still responding to damage reports across the city.

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