SLEEPLESS eyes were drawn to a spectacular lightning display which lit up the Essex coast last night.

The Met Office recorded there were 358 cloud to ground lightning strikes recorded over the UK on Tuesday night.

If you include cloud to cloud strikes over the UK sea areas, northern France and Low Countries, this number jumps to 41,000.

Residents from Harwich and Manningtree managed to capture striking photographs of the lightning illuminating the sky during the storm.

Neil Krave, from Dovercourt, said: "I was out late last night in and amongst the great storm we had.

"I took a great video and some great pictures."

The Met Office issued a blanket yellow weather warning for the East of England set to last from Tuesday at 6pm for 27 hours.

Essex Weather Centre tweeted: "For those along the Essex coast who slept through a spectacular lightning display during the early hours of this morning. "Had the storm been 20 miles further west, there would have been quite a few impacts locally."

The Met Office has put out a warning that there are still some showers and thunderstorms around for this evening's commute home.