In pictures: Lightning strikes light up sky after hottest day

Lightning strikes lit up the sky across parts of the West Midlands during the early hours.

The storm came during what could have been the warmest June night yet in the UK, making it difficult for many people to sleep.

The UK suffered its hottest ever June day on Thursday, with temperatures reaching 36.7C in the south west, breaking a record set earlier that day.

Hot and humid weather is expected to continue with an amber warning for extreme heat covering most of the region until midnight.

Our weather watchers captured these stunning images. If you would like to send us your own pictures - upload your images via BBC Weather Watchers or email us at midlandstoday@bbc.co.uk.

When emailing pictures, please make sure you include the following information:

• The full name of the person who took the pictures (as this person owns the copyright)
• Confirmation that the copyright holder gives permission for the BBC to use their pictures across all its outputs
• The location, date and time the pictures were taken
• Your telephone number so we can get back to you if we have any further questions.
• Any other details about the pictures that may be useful for us to know

Please note that while we welcome all your pictures, we are more likely to use those which have been taken in the past week.

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