HUNDREDS of people woke up to a huge clean-up operation on Wednesday morning after heavy thunderstorms brought flooding and power cuts to many parts of Kent on Tuesday night.

Kent Fire and Rescue received more than 400 storm-related calls as torrential rain swept the county. Control room operators started taking calls shortly after 6pm.

South and East Kent were worst hit as about two inches of rain fell in three hours. The sheer amount of rainfall meant surface water was running into homes.

Lightning strikes caused power cuts and hundreds of properties were still without power on Wednesday morning. EDF Energy said extra staff had been deployed on repair work.

Flooding and storm damage was reported in Thanet, Sandwich, Dover, Deal, Hawkinge, Folkestone, Hythe, New Romney and Canterbury.

Mike King, crew manager at Folkestone fire station, said: "We used specialist pumping equipment to remove water from basements."

Lightning struck a house in Broadstairs causing a fire.

Roads and railways were also affected. There was a complete loss of signals at Folkestone East station. Five trains were brought to a standstill and one train was trapped in a tunnel near Folkestone harbour.

Nigel Jarrett, of Southeastern Trains, said: "It was quickly rectified. Within just under an hour things were picking up and by 10.30pm everything was back to normal."

* Email your storm pictures to editor.kentonline@thekmgroup.co.uk