Storms hit the south - Your pictures

Spectacular lightning lit up the night sky across much of the south last night as storms rolled in amid a prolonged heatwave.

Thunder and heavy downpours struck the south coast overnight.

The Met Office said the 34-hour period to 10am Thursday saw 19,525 lightning strikes across the UK.

On Wednesday, the highest temperature recorded was 36.7C (98.1F) at Heathrow, breaking the record for a July day, while many other places broke the 30C (86F) mark.