THIS is the terrifying moment lightning appears to strike a home – triggering what looks like a huge explosion.
Firefighters and police were called to Bambury Street in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, yesterday before a cordon went up and homes were evacuated.
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Security camera footage shows the very moment lightning looks to have hit the property’s roof.
In the 10-second clip lightning lights the skies as a loud exploding noise echoes around the neighbourhood.
A bright yellow flash comes from the roof in what looks like flames.
The incident occurred just before 5.25pm on Saturday as firefighters raced to the scene.
Last night a cordon went up as Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said they expected to be there for some time.
Surrounding properties were evacuated after hearing “a massive bang”.
One witness said a motorist had stopped and told them the home’s roof was “on fire”.
It came at a time when the city was under a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms.
One neighbour said: “We’d only just got home. It was about 5.30pm and we heard a massive bang.
“A car stopped outside and the driver shouted that the roof was on fire. I think about four homes, including ours, were evacuated.
“We’ve all been sat in one of the neighbours’ houses.”
Last night’s conditions saw around 1,700 homes across north Staffordshire left without power.
Scores of properties experienced problems with their water supplies.
A number of key roads were also left submerged after heavy rain.
Today a yellow warning for rain is in place while a flood warning and alerts have been issued for parts of north Staffordshire.
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THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAIN TO PERSIST
THUNDERSTORMS and heavy rain will persist across parts of the UK as summer officially comes to an end.
Thunder and lightning, hail and rain struck various parts of the country on Saturday, including Luton, Bedfordshire, St Albans in Hertfordshire, and Cornwall, with heavy downpours in London, Wales and Birmingham.
The autumn equinox takes place on Sunday which marks the end of summer and the start of autumn.
A weather warning for rain has come into force lasting all of Sunday for Wales and central south-west England, and another on Monday, stretching to cover areas further east and further north.
Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey said: “With Sunday marking the autumnal equinox summer has now officially come to an end, and it ended with a bang for some of us.
“We’ve seen some very heavy showers and thunderstorms spreading their way in across southern areas of England, into parts of Wales as well during the course of today.
“This evening, those will continue to rumble their way on a bit, spreading again into parts of Midlands, Wales, then maybe just clipping the far south of Northern Ireland as well.
“Into the early hours of tomorrow morning we’ll also see our next batch of thundery rain moving its way into southern areas of England as well.”
He continued: “We do then have a rain warning in force throughout Sunday for this band of rain that’s going to be moving across Wales, central southern areas of England.
“Some very heavy pulses are possible with some surface water issues, travel disruption, so it is worth taking care if you are out and about or travelling during the day.”