Lightning struck a school in rural Uganda killing 18 pupils in the latest and most deadly of a series of thunderstorms that have raged across the country over the last week.

A national police spokeswoman said 15 girls and three boys died when lightning struck Runyanya Primary School in Kiryandongo District 135 miles northwest of the capital Kampala.

A local police commander in Kiryandongo said a further 36 children were injured when lightning hit the classroom they were sheltering in on Tuesday afternoon.

Dozens have so far been killed in the storms that have also caused flooding.

According to one police official the national death toll includes another three school children hit by lightning while playing football in eastern Uganda while at least 21 other school children were injured in a separate lightning strike.

The numerous deaths have led lawmakers to demand and explanation from the government.

