Image copyright Weather Watcher Image caption Lorraine took this picture of dramatic picture of lightning in Shandon, Argyll and Bute on Saturday at 15:23

Hundreds of homes were without power for almost 24 hours following lightning strikes on Saturday.

Energy firm SSE said it had now reconnected power to all of the homes - 200 in Aberdeen and 175 in Dundee.

Two homes in Collieston, Aberdeenshire, were also struck during the storm, causing small fires.

In Gatehouse of Fleet, Dumfries and Galloway, firefighters were called out after lightning hit an overhead line feeding an electricity substation.

Scottish Power said the strike led to a short term loss of power to some nearby homes.

Black sockets

Six homes in the Newton Stewart and Gatehouse of Fleet areas were also struck by lightning.

Ian Anderson, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's Dumfries and Galloway station manager, told the BBC Scotland news website: "There was a 90 minute period from about 15:30 where we were called out to five or six houses hit by lightning.

"Their houses smelled of burning and their sockets were black.

"If a property sustains a lightning strike and it's bad enough to burn sockets then we would ask people to call the fire service.

"If your house is hit by lightning you will hear a crack and some of the items in your house might fail."

Image copyright Weather Watcher Image caption Jeanette took this picture of lightning in Fraserburgh on Saturday at 18:57

Dramatic images of the storm in the west and north-east of Scotland have been sent to the BBC Scotland website.

BBC Weather Watchers also reported large hailstones during a thunder storm in Aberdeenshire.

And in Edinburgh drivers said the torrential rain lead to sudden flooding and spray, causing difficult driving conditions on the city bypass.

Image copyright Richard Holt Image caption Richard Holt captured more than one fork of lightning near Udny Aberdeenshire at about 18:40 on Saturday

Lightning had been forecast in western and central areas on Saturday afternoon, with experts predicting it would move east in the evening.

The Met Office issued two weather warnings - one for lightning and another for thunder.

Image copyright Francis Clark Image caption Lightning was seen in Aberdeen

It came a day after a temperature of 30C (86F) was recorded in the Highlands on Friday.

But in southern England temperatures soared to 33.6C (92F) on Saturday, making it the hottest day of the year so far.

In other parts of the UK.....

Image copyright PA Media Image caption The main beach in Bournemouth was crowded by sun seekers on Saturday afternoon