Two houses on fire after being struck by lightning as thunderstorms batter UK | Weather | News
Two buildings burst into flames as a result of a lightning strike in the early hours of the morning.
Firefighters will be on duty in both areas this evening; They appealed to the public to stay away from the area while emergency services dealt with the incident.
East Sussex Fire and Rescue said in a statement: “Lightning is reported to have started fires in Eastbourne and Bexhill.
“East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service were called to a fire on the roof of a house in Selmeston Road, Eastbourne, at 12.03am on 27 June 2026. We were called to Long Avenue, Bexhill, at 12.19am following reports of a house on fire following a lightning strike.”
East Sussex Fire and Rescue said in a statement: “Lightning is reported to have started fires in Eastbourne and Bexhill.
“East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service were called to a fire on the roof of a house in Selmeston Road, Eastbourne, at 12.03am on 27 June 2026. We were called to Long Avenue, Bexhill, at 12.19am following reports of a house on fire following a lightning strike.”
“Joint Fire Control received a large number of 999 calls. Teams are working intensively and four fire trucks are sent to each incident.
“There are no reports of injuries at this time. Please avoid these areas.”
It comes as the Met Office reported a third consecutive day of record-breaking temperatures in June as parts of the UK experienced a shift to more westerly influence, bringing the threat of storms.
Met Office chief forecaster Andy Page said: “The UK sees a gradual change in conditions over the weekend, with temperatures in the south-east of England remaining warm the longest, where the amber extreme heat warning remains in place for most of Saturday, although highs are more likely to be below 30 degrees Celsius.”
Western parts of Scotland and large parts of Northern Ireland are expected to experience some rainfall on Saturday. Showers are expected to move southwards in some areas on Sunday, but they are expected to be relatively light.
Residents in the Southeast may stay dry through the weekend, but the threat of storms remains across the region before temperatures return to more normal levels on Sunday and into Monday.
Friday was officially confirmed by the Met Office as the hottest June day ever recorded in the UK; The provisional temperature of 37.3 degrees recorded at Santon Downham in Suffolk eclipsed the previous high of 36.7 degrees recorded at Merryfield, Somerset on Thursday.
