Somerset was battered by 18,540 lightning strikes on Monday, 22 June, making it the worst-hit county during a dramatic 24 hours of storms, according to the Met Office.

More than 29,000 lightning strikes were recorded across England as heavy rain, thunder and flash flooding hit parts of the West Country.

The weather caused disruption on the ground, with flooding reported in Shepton Mallet, Wells, Glastonbury and Street.

Hundreds of homes in Shepton Mallet, Glastonbury were also reported to have lost power during the evening.

In Shepton Mallet, the Environment Agency warned that levels on the River Sheppey were rising rapidly following heavy rainfall. It said Shepton Mallet, Croscombe, Upper Coxley, Coxley and Fenny Castle were expected to be among the areas most affected.

National Grid information reported 252 properties without electricity in Shepton Mallet and 331 in Glastonbury during the storms.

The weather also hit local shops and supermarkets. Tesco in Glastonbury was forced to close due to flooding by colleagues had worked through the evening and night so the store could reopen at 9 am on Tuesday, 23 June, while community reports said Morrisons in Glastonbury has now reopened.

There were also local reports that Tesco in Wells will remain closed today due to flooding. While in Shepton Mallet, residents reported that Tesco had closed for the night after water entered the front of the store.

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The full extent of the clean-up is still becoming clear, with damage reported across homes, roads, shops and local businesses.

Residents are being urged to keep checking official updates, avoid floodwater and report damage through the appropriate emergency or utility channels.

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