Claps of thunder were so loud during a storm last night that residents of one Kent town thought they were explosions.

Brilliant white flashes of light illuminated the skies over Maidstone at around midnight, coupled with "deafening" thunder crashes.

Some thought a bomb had gone off in the County Town, while others compared the spectacle to scenes from the sci-fi film War of the Worlds.

Amanda Joseph, who lives on Kingsley Road, said: "There was a huge explosion preceded by an electric 'crack' sound, followed by the loudest explosion I've ever heard.

"It was like multiple thunder crashes stacked upon one another. It set alarms off up our road.

"Pure white light poured in through the windows and the cracks in the curtains, it was shocking how bright it was.

"I watched for more flashes, the rain was torrential but died down rapidly to nothing. There were no other flashes or thunder, it was so weird."

Police confirmed that although they had received calls from concerned residents about explosions, it was just the heavy storm which hit the town overnight.