A huge thunderstorm caught people in Tokyo and surrounding areas in the Kanto region by surprise on Monday evening, causing small flash floods and temporary blackouts in some areas.

Social media was instantly lit up with users' stunning photos and videos of the spectacular storm.

Instagram user @hakuchuu1882 posted a shot titled "Tokyo Tower x Thunderbolt," saying, "I thought I was going to die."

@tamegoeswild captured simultaneous lightning strikes over skyscrapers in the Japanese capital, saying, "Quite a view over Tokyo tonight!"

On Twitter, user @iyphotooffice tweeted a photo near the landmark Rainbow Bridge and said the thunder's rumble was so strong it shook the camera tripod.

According to meteorological information service provider Weathernews, lightning struck at least 9,246 times in the Kanto region between noon and 8:30pm on Monday.

The intensity of the thunderstorm in Tokyo can be felt in the video posted by Facebook user @toshi.hirakawa.

@kondohgumi's video also showed multiple thunderbolts hitting the Tokyo skyline. "It's been quite a while since I've seen such tremendous lightning and rain in Tokyo," the post said.

In Koshigaya in neighboring Saitama Prefecture, Instagram user @katsuzo3 posted a photo of lightning striking from an enormous cumulonimbus cloud.

Meanwhile, the storm perhaps also brought back a bit of childhood nostalgia for some. In an apparent reference to Japanese folklore, @OonaMcGee said in a video tweet of the spectacle, "When I was little my mum would tell me to hide my belly button during a storm so the god of thunder wouldn't take it away. Hope you all hid your belly buttons!"