Scores of flights have been delayed at Stansted Airport after lightning hit the aircraft fuelling system, leaving planes unable to refuel.

More than 200 planes were delayed at the London airport on Sunday morning, while another 31 departures and 18 arrivals were cancelled, according to FlightStats.

Electric storms had swept through the UK with lightning striking more than 60,000 times in 24 hours, according to the Met Office.

Stansted Airport confirmed the problem, saying that the aircraft fuelling system was unavailable "for a period this morning" due to a lightning strike.

There were 72 delayed departures and 56 delayed arrivals affecting flights going in and out of Stansted on Sunday night, FlightStats reported.

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The site also listed six cancelled arrivals and six cancelled departures at the airport.

After the delays on Sunday morning, a Stansted Airport spokesman said on Twitter: "Engineers have been on site and have now restored the system, however flights may still be subject to diversion, delay or cancellation.

"We apologise for the inconvenience and advise all passengers to check with their airlines for their latest flight updates."

No one about to offer updates, hundreds of us huddled together in departures, airport is boiling hot and looking at a minimum 3 hour delay. I think you owe us these pints #Stansted pic.twitter.com/7TK3MegfnE — Lozza (@lozzad_) May 27, 2018

Flights due to land at Stansted Airport on Sunday morning were being diverted to other destinations, with passengers landing at East Midlands Airport, about 125 miles away.

One flight from Eindhoven was diverted to Birmingham Airport, and another from Bratislava landed at East Midlands.

Flights began leaving the airport in the late morning and arrivals were able to land at their correct destination as well.

The delays come as the Bank Holiday and May half term break approaches.

Image: A streak of lightning illuminates London's Shard. Pic. Matthew Smith

Several passengers tweeted their frustration at being told to board planes, only to then sit on the craft for hours without take-off.

One passenger, Lorraine Townley, said: "@Ryanair if you know that you have no access to fuel and all flights from Stansted are delayed why make us board the plane to sit on here for hours waiting for you to fix the issue? It's boiling hot and we aren't even being given free water. Making more money off us!"

Emily Morgan told Sky News her flight to Ibiza with Ryanair, scheduled to depart at 8.45am, was still on the tarmac at 10.15am and said she did not get much information.

She said: "We were due to take off at 8:45 but no information on when we will be refilled. The plane next to us was due to take off at 6:05 but is still sat there.

"People are really cross that there was no information or warning of the delays at the airport and we were allowed to board knowing there was 3 hour plus delays.

"The bar has been opened but been offered nothing complimentary."

Image: People stuck on a flight to Ibiza more than 90 minutes after planning take-off. Pic: Emily Morgan

Twitter user Lozza shared a picture of scores of people waiting in the airport for information, and claimed she had been told nothing about what was going on.

She said: "No one about to offer updates, hundreds of us huddled together in departures, airport is boiling hot and looking at a minimum 3 hour delay. I think you owe us these pints."

The standstill at Stansted may be coming to an end ... as the much-needed fuel pumps appear on the horizon pic.twitter.com/luKgN3xREj — Mark Lobel (@marklobel) May 27, 2018

Tom Lewis wrote: "@Ryanair hey there pals! Can we expect any info on our 9am flight to Athens from Stansted anytime soon? The North Korea-esque info blackout isn't fun."

Antonia Bevan said she rushed through security and baggage drop only to find her flight was delayed by more than three hours.

She tweeted: "Huge delays at baggage drop, rush to get through horribly busy security only to find chaos reigning airside and flight 3.25 hours delayed..."

@STN_Airport Huge delays at baggage drop, rush to get through horribly busy security only to find chaos reigning airside and flight 3.25 hours delayed... #Stansted pic.twitter.com/HWHHQFtMMk — Antonia Bevan (@antonia_bevan) May 27, 2018

Vic Goddard said she was entering her fourth hour of delays and claimed Ryanair was selling snacks instead of giving out information.

According to Which?, passengers are entitled to refreshments appropriate to the delay after two hours.

Image: Hundreds are waiting for information about flights. Pic: @GiantDwarf3

The company suggests keeping any receipts for expenses at the airport if refreshments are not offered, and then claiming back from the airline.

Compensation should increase for delays of three hours or more, and once the five hour mark is hit, passengers should be given an option to fly by a different route. This does depend on whether there were "extraordinary circumstances", which weather comes into.

Image: Jet2 and Ryanair flights have been affected in Stansted

Jet2 passengers are reporting being given up to £20 credit on their boarding passes as they wait in the airport.

Chloe Goulding told Sky News she had been given €10 onto her boarding pass at Ibiza Airport, and needed to use it all in one go.

And I can finally see fuel going in. Still one man, one truck, linking each plane individually it seems. Looking at approx 3h delay for our 6.45am flight #Stansted #StanstedAirport @STN_Airport pic.twitter.com/LCT0mEqCKR — Cathy Winston (@Mummytravels) May 27, 2018

One Jet2 passenger seemed a little happier at the service, after being given water and allowed a look inside the cockpit.

Eric the Red tweeted: "Sat on plane at Stansted, delayed an hour so far and still no sign of fuel. Lightening strike or union strike ? Rick Astley is playing on loop... please help me."

He then added: "@jet2tweets hats off to the staff on the delayed Croatia flight, handing out water and letting families in the cockpit. #Stansted #stillnofuel."

Blogger Cathy Winston tweeted to say her 6.45am flight to Talinn was awaiting a fuel truck until 9.30am, and she hoped to reach her destination before lunch.

One passenger said her 5.55am flight was delayed until at least 3.10pm.

Image: Some have said they are not being offered water or refreshments. Pic: @GiantDwarf3

In a statement, Ryanair said: "A number of flights have regrettably been cancelled at Stansted Airport this morning due to an earlier airport fuelling system failure, caused by a lightning strike.

"All affected customers are being contacted and advised of their options of a full refund, a free transfer on to the next available flight or a free transfer on to an alternative routing. We apologise to all customers affected by these disruptions, which are entirely beyond our control."

A spokesman for Jet2 said: "Like all other airlines we are currently experiencing delays at London Stansted airport . Our teams are working very hard to look after customers and keep them informed."</s>East Midlands Airport was hit by extra arrivals over the weekend after lightning strikes caused chaos at a major London airport.

East Midlands, in Castle Donington, said eight extra flights were redirected to it because a lightning strike damaged the fuelling system at Stansted Airport, affecting more than 200 planes.

Leicestershire Live has reported customers were complaining on social media about queues at security and delays on the Tarmac at East Midlands as a result of the incident.

In a statement, the London airport said: "Due to an earlier lightning strike, the aircraft fuelling systems was unavailable for a period this morning.

"Engineers have been on site and have now restored the system. However, flights may still be subject to diversion, delay or cancellation.

"We apologise for the inconvenience and advise all passengers to check with their airlines for their latest flight updates."

The country was hit by thunder storms throughout the day on Sunday, with the south of the country being the worst affected, as the BBC weather centre reported 15,000 lightning strikes in just four hours.</s>Thunderstorms deliver more than 60,000 lightning strikes across UK

Thunderstorms deliver more than 60,000 lightning strikes across UK

Electric storms have swept through the UK, creating dramatic skyscapes worthy of a Hollywood film.

After a sunny start to the Bank Holiday weekend, with temperatures reaching 27C (80.6F), Saturday's balmy evening eventually broke into a violent thunderstorm accompanied by heavy rain.

Image: A streak of lightning illuminates London's Shard. Pic. Matthew Smith

The UK was struck by lightning more than 60,000 times in 24 hours, according to the Met Office.

Temperatures overnight did not fall below 15C (59F), he said, adding: "For the end of May that's a pretty hot and humid night, so everything was primed.

"We had some storms coming in from northern France and some building up in the Channel and they sort of spread out and have been working their way in.

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"It looks like there just one huge area of thundery showers that worked across London just before midnight."

During the early hours of this morning we caught this lightning strike over the base #p1195 pic.twitter.com/dZnSy2epg7 — NPAS Benson (@NPASBenson) May 27, 2018

London Fire Brigade said it received more than 500 weather-related calls, most of them due to flooding.

In Warwickshire, five properties were struck by lightning and in Dawlish, Devon, a phone box burst into flames after a telephone pole was also hit by lightning.

Flights from Stansted Airport were disrupted on Sunday after the fuelling system was damaged by a lightning strike.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution posted a photo of the storm above the Thames, lighting up the water close to their rescue station.

A dramatic shot of lightning illuminating the Shard in the capital was captured by data journalist Matthew Smith.

Videos shot in Wapping and Chiswick show the strobing effect of the lightning, as it flashes across the night sky.

A video taken in South Ruislip, Middlesex, by Thomas Wheeler shows the lightning in slow motion, as it snakes across the sky flash by flash.

Nearly 1,000 properties were left without power in the Midlands following the storm and 17 flood alerts have been issued for parts of the Thames Valley.

:: Sky News weather forecast

Roof destroyed by lightning in Essex

Sky News weather presenter Jo Edwards said: "Heavy thundery showers will be a feature of the weather over the next few days, developing over southern counties and the south-west.

"Some places will face a deluge, with torrential downpours bringing significant rainfall. There'll also be frequent thunder and lightning with the risk of some large hail.

Image: Sky News also felt the effect of the storm, with flooding in the room that houses camera operators

"Overnight the thunderstorms will move northwards to reach northern England, the Midlands and East Anglia by the end of the night."

There is a Met Office warning of heavy thunderstorms until 6am Monday, covering much of England and Wales.

With the muggy weather set to continue through the start of the week, bringing with it cumulonimbus clouds, thunderstorms could last until Wednesday.</s>UK hit by up to 20,000 lightning strikes

LONDON: The UK has been hit by up to 20,000 lightning strikes in a massive electrical storm that swept the country on Saturday night. Incredible photos and footage show stunning purple skies illuminated by intense bursts of light.

The violent thunderstorm blasted parts of southern Britain following a humid day of 27 degrees celsius temperatures. Met Office meteorologist Charlie Powell said there were somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 strikes overnight.

Dramatic shots of the lightning strikes were shared across social media as onlookers expressed their awe at the intensity of the storm. Torrential rain accompanied the thunderstorm, creating chaos for motorists. London Fire Brigade said it received more than 500 weather-related calls, most of them due to flooding.

There have also been reports of properties being struck by lightning. Firefighters attended a blaze at a house in Stanway, Essex after a lightning bolt caused its roof to go on fire. Nearly 1,000 properties were left without power across the midlands as a result of outages caused by the storm.

Meanwhile, flights from Stansted Airport have been disrupted after the fuelling system was damaged by a lightning strike. The system has now been restored but the airport says flights may still be subject to delays or cancellation.</s>LONDON: Huge lightning strikes reportedly hit the UK during a powerful overnight thunderstorm, disrupting flights at London Airport after an aircraft refueling system was damaged on Sunday.

According to reports, lightning strike disabled the fueling system at London Stansted Airport for a period on Sunday morning. Engineers have been on site and have restored the system, however flights may still be subject to diversion, delay or cancellation.

Thunderstorms and torrential rain have swept across parts of southern Britain, with lightning flashing across the sky. Around 15,000 lightning strikes were recorded in four hours on Saturday night. 



More than 200 flights were delayed at Stansted. Another 31 departures and 18 arrivals were cancelled, according media citing FlightStats, which provides data on commercial aviation.

London-area airports were busier than usual, since Britain is in the middle of a long holiday weekend, and many schoolchildren also have a half-term break this coming week.

While, 1,000 properties had been left without power across the Midlands, with the majority of outages down to lightning.</s>LONDON (AP) — British meteorologists say up to 20,000 lightning strikes hit the U.K. during a powerful overnight thunderstorm, and a London-area airport is reporting flight disruptions after an aircraft refueling system was damaged. London Stansted Airport said Sunday that a lightning strike h…</s>Lightning strikes disabled the aircraft fuelling system at London Stansted Airport, delaying more than 200 flights were delayed at Stansted.

Meteorologist Charlie Powell told AP there were "somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 strikes across the UK during the overnight period."</s>The UK was struck by lightning between 15,000 and 20,000 times as the “mother of all thunderstorms” rolled across southern England overnight, meteorologists said.

The London Fire Brigade said it had taken more than 500 weather-related calls as the warm and humid bank holiday weather broke down into an “utterly intense” storm.

In Warwickshire, the fire service said five properties were struck by lightning in the early hours of Sunday, while in Dawlish, Devon, a telephone box burst into flames after a BT pole was hit on Saturday evening.

Western Power Distribution said nearly 1,000 properties had been left without power across the Midlands, with the majority of outages down to lightning.

A cluster of 17 flood alerts has been issued for parts of the Thames Valley, while West Midlands and Bedfordshire fire services warned motorists of the risks of driving on flood-hit roads.

Met Office meteorologist Charlie Powell said information suggested there were “somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 strikes across the UK during the overnight period”.

He explained: “Temperatures overnight did not fall much below 15 or 16 degrees, for the end of May that’s a pretty hot and humid night so everything was primed.

“We had some storms coming in from northern France and some building up in the Channel and they sort of spread out and have been working their way in.

“It looks like there just one huge area of thundery showers that worked across London just before midnight.”

The LFB said it had taken 505 weather-related calls overnight, although the majority were down to flooding and no fires were reported to have been started by lighting strikes.

Torrential rain at Kew Gardens, in south-west London, saw more than half an inch of rain fall in an hour.

A Met Office warning of heavy thunderstorms is in place until 6am on Monday, covering much of England and all of Wales.

As it played out in dramatic fashion, skies exploded with light and sound over the capital and across southern England.

BBC weatherman Tomasz Schafernaker tweeted: “Mother of all #thunderstorms now over London. Oh boy! This UTTERLY INSANE. I’ve never seen a storm with such frequent lightning in my life I don’t think. Mostly sheet lightning and not too loud but flashes are spectacular.”

James Brewin captured the moment Big Ben and Westminster were illuminated by a flash of lightning, describing it as “London in daylight at midnight for a split second”.

Photographer and journalist Andrew Lanxon Hoyle shared an image of the Suleymaniye Mosque in Dalston, east London, lit from behind by a brilliant fork of lightning, tweeting: “The lightning storm over London right now is utterly INTENSE.”

Pamelasaurusrex shared a photo on Instagram of two people running for shelter outside King’s Cross Station as a lightning bolt arced across the sky over nearby St Pancras.

Samuel Wilkinson captured the split-second lightning shot toward the earth with The Shard skyscraper below, while the RNLI at Tower Bridge shared a photo of the view over the South Bank as the sky lit up.</s>Lightning lit up the night sky across large parts of Britain in a weather phenomenon dubbed the ‘mother of all thunderstorms’ by meteorologists.

It is estimated that the UK was hit by lightning between 15,000 and 20,000 times – including one bolt hitting the Shard in London, in a dramatic moment captured by photographers.

Heavy rain also lashed southern England and the Midlands as the incredible wave of lightning rolled in.

Met Office meteorologist Charlie Powell said: ‘Temperatures overnight did not fall much below 15 or 16 degrees, for the end of May that’s a pretty hot and humid night so everything was primed.

‘We had some storms coming in from northern France and some building up in the Channel and they sort of spread out and have been working their way in.

‘It looks like there just one huge area of thundery showers that worked across London just before midnight.’

BBC weatherman Tomasz Schafernaker shared his enthusiasm on Twitter, writing: “Mother of all #thunderstorms now over London. Oh boy! This UTTERLY INSANE.

‘I’ve never seen a storm with such frequent lightning in my life I don’t think. Mostly sheet lightning and not too loud but flashes are spectacular.’

The storm in the capital included Big Ben and Westminster being illuminated by the sudden flashes of light.

And more than half an inch of rain fell in just an hour at Kew Gardens in south west London.

The London Fire Brigade said it had taken more than 500 weather-related calls overnight, although the majority were down to flooding and no fires were reported to have been started by lighting strikes.

Some 17 flood alerts were issued for parts of the Thames Valley, while West Midlands and Bedfordshire fire services warned motorists of the risks of driving on flood-hit roads.

Nearly 1,000 properties in the Midlands have been left without power as a result of the lightning, Western Power Distribution said.

Five properties were struck by lightning in Warwickshire, while a telephone box burst into flames after a BT pole was hit in Dawlish, Devon.

The weather has also caused chaos at Stansted Airport with passengers reporting huge delays.

In a statement, the airport said engineers are working to repair the aircraft fuelling system after it was damagedb in the storm.

It said: ‘Due to a lightning strike, the aircraft fuelling system is currently unavailable. Engineers are currently on site working to resolve the issue but flights are subject to diversion, delay or cancellation.

‘We apologise for the inconvenience and advise all passengers to check with their airlines for their latest flight updates.’

A Met Office warning for heavy thunderstorms is in place until 6am on Monday, covering much of England and all of Wales.</s>Flights from Stansted Airport have been disrupted after the fuelling system was damaged by a lightning strike.

The UK was struck by lightning between 15,000 and 20,000 times as the "mother of all thunderstorms" rolled across southern England overnight, meteorologists said.

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There were cancellations and delays after a thunderstorm and lightning strikes overnight.

The London Fire Brigade said it had taken more than 500 weather-related calls as the warm and humid bank holiday weather broke down into an "utterly intense" storm.

In Warwickshire, the fire service said five properties were struck by lightning in the early hours of Sunday, while in Dawlish, Devon, a telephone box burst into flames after a BT pole was hit on Saturday evening.

Western Power Distribution said nearly 1,000 properties had been left without power across the Midlands, with the majority of outages down to lightning.

A cluster of 17 flood alerts has been issued for parts of the Thames Valley, while West Midlands and Bedfordshire fire services warned motorists of the risks of driving on flood-hit roads.

Met Office meteorologist Charlie Powell said information suggested there were "somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 strikes across the UK during the overnight period".

He explained: "Temperatures overnight did not fall much below 15 or 16 degrees, for the end of May that's a pretty hot and humid night so everything was primed.

"We had some storms coming in from northern France and some building up in the Channel and they sort of spread out and have been working their way in.

"It looks like there just one huge area of thundery showers that worked across London just before midnight."

The LFB said it had taken 505 weather-related calls overnight, although the majority were down to flooding and no fires were reported to have been started by lighting strikes.

Torrential rain at Kew Gardens, in south-west London, saw more than half an inch of rain fall in an hour.

A Met Office warning of heavy thunderstorms is in place until 6am on Monday, covering much of England and all of Wales.

As it played out in dramatic fashion, skies exploded with light and sound over the capital and across southern England.

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BBC weatherman Tomasz Schafernaker tweeted: "Mother of all #thunderstorms now over London. Oh boy! This UTTERLY INSANE. I've never seen a storm with such frequent lightning in my life I don't think. Mostly sheet lightning and not too loud but flashes are spectacular."

James Brewin captured the moment Big Ben and Westminster were illuminated by a flash of lightning, describing it as "London in daylight at midnight for a split second".

Photographer and journalist Andrew Lanxon Hoyle shared an image of the Suleymaniye Mosque in Dalston, east London, lit from behind by a brilliant fork of lightning, tweeting: "The lightning storm over London right now is utterly INTENSE."

Pamelasaurusrex shared a photo on Instagram of two people running for shelter outside King's Cross Station as a lightning bolt arced across the sky over nearby St Pancras.

Samuel Wilkinson captured the split-second lightning shot toward the earth with The Shard skyscraper below, while the RNLI at Tower Bridge shared a photo of the view over the South Bank as the sky lit up.

The fuelling system at Stansted was repaired on Sunday morning, but passengers were warned to check before travelling.

The airport said in a statement: "Due to an earlier lightning strike, the aircraft fuelling system was unavailable for a period this morning.

"Engineers have been on site and have now restored the system, however flights may still be subject to diversion, delay or cancellation.

"We apologise for the inconvenience and advise all passengers to check with their airlines for their latest flight updates."

Ryanair could not say how many of its flights had been affected, and said customers can get a full refund or free transfer.

"A number of flights have regrettably been cancelled at Stansted Airport this morning due to an earlier airport fuelling system failure, caused by a lightning strike," a spokesman said.

"All affected customers are being contacted and advised of their options of a full refund, a free transfer on to the next available flight or a free transfer on to an alternative routing.

"We apologise to all customers affected by these disruptions, which are entirely beyond our control."
More than 200 departures are delayed and about 50 arrivals and departures are cancelled after lightning hit the aircraft fuel system at London Stansted Airport. Violent thunderstorm accompanied by heavy rain overnight caused flooding and property damage; the UK was struck by lightning more than 60,000 times in 24 hours, according to the Met Office.