At the height of the storm, about 3,500 homes in Wheatley, Tiddington, Wootton, Sandford, Faringdon and Abingdon were without electricity.

Southern Electric said the Faringdon area was still cut off.

Some homes in Mollington and Banbury were also struck by lightning, while properties in Bath Terrace, Bicester, and Kiln Lane, Garsington, flooded.

The Thames Valley was among the worst affected areas, as storms continued to hit parts of England and Wales throughout the night.

A warning of further heavy rain by the Met Office has been withdrawn.

Michael Fortune, who lives in Elizabeth Avenue, Abingdon, told the BBC News website the storm was "like a monsoon - it's the only way to describe it".

"It woke us up at 0330 BST. About an hour-and-a-half later we lost power."

He said his property narrowly missed being flooded.

"There were bolts of lightning like I'd never seen before. It gradually just got worse and worse and worse."

Continued....

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