THIS stunning video shows a fork of lightning lighting up the night sky above Brighton.

Footage captured by Oliver Button shows the stunning meteorological phenomenon taking place over the city as a thunderstorm battered the coast.

In the video, posted on Twitter, a fork of lightning can be seen lighting up the sky as it shoots across the frame.

The silhouette of the city's skyline was briefly visible as the storm continued across the south coast.

The thunderstorm comes after several days of sunshine as part of a "mini heatwave" that scorched Sussex.

Temperatures reached a scorching 28C in some parts of the country as areas edged closer to an official heatwave.

Mercury could hit 20C in Brighton on Sunday, prompting marathon organisers to add more water and shower stations along the 26-mile route

Runners are being advised to consider dropping their time goals and running more slowly if they are feeling too hot and overwhelmed.

They are also being told to be alert to signs of heatstroke and participants who have suffered from it before are being told not to take part.

Advice published on the Brighton Marathon website reads: “If you feel yourself getting confused or too hot, or very weak during the event, this may be a sign of heat stroke and you must stop immediately and get help from one of the medical team or race marshals.

“There are medical tents along the course and at the finish.

“It is also important to know that if you have ever collapsed due to heatstroke (rather than from exhaustion and recovered within minutes), we advise that you should not take part in the marathon on Sunday.”

On Tuesday, a Sussex village recorded the highest consecutive temperatures making in the only place in the country where a heatwave has been declared.

Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said Wiggonholt near Pulborough, has already met the heatwave thresholds, with recordings of 27.1C on Sunday, 28.6C on Monday and 28.5C on Tuesday.

A location meets the UK heatwave threshold when it records a period of at least three consecutive days of daily maximum temperature levels meeting or exceeding thresholds that vary across the country.