Lancashire weather: Thunderstorms, lightning and heavy rain sweep across county overnight
Lancashire has seen temperatures rise to highs of 28C in some areas since the start of the week.
Lightning and heavy rain battered Lancashire overnight and into Thursday morning (May 28) as violent thunderstorms swept across the county.
Thunderstorms broke the heatwave during the early hours, with people reporting thunder and lightning flashes from around 12.30am until 7am this morning.
While some readers were kept awake by the crashing thunder, others slept soundly throughout.
In Leyland, one reader reported “thunder and lightning at 1am to 2am” with “rumbles in the distance for a while” that kept them awake.
In Preston, a few flashes were reported, while in Chorley one local said the storm was “over” the town for around an hour.
In other parts of the county, some people were left startled, with one reader saying: “I heard it during the night and my heart started pounding.”
While much of the county was left unscathed following the storm, Lancashire Fire and Rescue were at the scene on Thursday morning after a direct lightning strike to a property in Fleetwood caused damage to a chimney.
What is the weather forecast for the rest of the week?
The Met Office has forecast that the heatwave, which has seen record temperatures set for the month of May, is expected to ease slightly across the UK on Thursday.
Weather experts have predicted highs of 28C in the North West on Thursday, cooling further as we head towards the weekend.
The forecaster also said on Wednesday that another “tropical night”, where temperatures remain above 20C, was unlikely.
However, the UK will remain warm, particularly in the south, with “some fresher and possibly showery conditions” expected from Friday into the weekend.
In a post on X, the Met Office said: “A warm start to Thursday with showers, possibly thundery, pushing northwards and clearing northern England.
“Temperatures soon rising with sunshine turning hazier in the west.”
The outlook for Friday to Sunday states: “Largely dry with sunny spells and very warm once again on Friday. A band of rain then gradually spreads eastwards over the weekend, introducing some fresher and possibly showery conditions.”