The Met Office has urged people to stay indoors where possible as the south of England is struck by a “huge cluster” of thunderstorms.

As temperatures plummeted from Friday’s highs of 32C, the forecaster issued a lightning warning that it has only used a “handful” of times before.

Forecasters warned of “frequent lightning and some difficult driving conditions” on Saturday night, especially for parts of Sussex, Kent, Essex and Suffolk.

Meteorologist Becky Mitchell said a cold front from the north was responsible for the sudden temperature shift.

“It felt like it was just getting into summer but it’s cooler now,” she said.

“Lots of places in the UK have seen a temperature drop of about 10 to 15 degrees in some places, which is massive.