Social media was awash with people struggling to get back to sleep after last night's dramatic electrical storm.

At around 2am on Friday, July 18, rain began battering windows, thunder rumbled and fork lightning shot across black skies.

Dramatic lighting across Hillingdon in the early hours of Friday, July 18 taken by reader, Gemma Palmer from Cowley

The thunder clapped and lightning flashed for around 45 minutes before moving on.

Picture of fork lightning over Uxbridge taken by reader Chloe Fagg

People across the borough woke up and rushed to close their windows, then took to Twitter and Facebook as they tried to get back to sleep.

The soaring temperatures are set to stick around and people are being warned of some of the dangers the hot weather can bring.

The Met Office has issued advice on how to stay safe in rocketing temperatures, which could reach 30 degrees C today (Friday, July 18).

The stormy weather is expected to return tonight around 10pm.

Did the storm wake you? Or did you sleep through? Send your comments, pictures and videos to hannah.raven@trinitymirror.com or tweet @HannahUxGazette