Lightning strike 'like a bomb went off' blows hole in roof of house in Manchester

A lightning strike that sounded "like a bomb had gone off" saw lights and plug sockets explode and a hole blown into the roof of a home during a sudden thunderstorm..

Fire crews were called to Rusholme, Manchester, shortly after 4pm on Sunday 11 June when a bolt of lightning, hit the roof of two terraced homes, causing a "huge explosion".

Tiles were also ripped off walls as fuse boxes and light switches were left blackened and charred, with some roof tiles damaging a Tesla parked outside.

Three people received injuries following the strike, and several residents have now been moved out of their homes in Thornton Road, and had their electricity cut off.

Francis Clarence had been standing beside his electrical switch when the lightning struck.

He has been left with a huge hole in the roof of his home and also his shed, after tiles fell off the roof and caused damage.

Speaking from outside his house, he said: "I was inside and heard this huge loud bang. It was a huge blast and I was stood next to the electric switch that just blew up.

"There was a tube light in the attic that exploded and all the tiles broke off my roof and fell on my car.

"Downstairs, two light fittings fell off and one light landed on my son but he is okay.

"We have been advised to move somewhere else because we have no electricity and we are waiting for the insurance to look at it.

"There was smoke coming from the roof and there is a big hole in the attic. It was so loud I still can't hear properly. It was a near miss so we do feel lucky."

Francis' next door neighbour Lena was working on her laptop inside at the time when the lightning struck.

She has also been urged to move out of her rented home for the 'foreseeable future' and her bedroom walls have been left scorched.

She said: "It felt like a bomb had gone off and dropped on my house. It was an incredibly loud bang, my ears are still ringing from it.

"I just saw tiles flying off the walls and plug sockets exploding. At first, didn't think it was lightning because the thunderstorm was over so quickly. I thought there had been a gas explosion or something.

"The whole room started smoking up so we quickly put the harness on the dog and got out and turned off as many switches as we could.

"The bedroom looks like an explosion, the emergency services said they had never seen anything like it. People further down the street say their wifi routers aren't working now either.

"We are extremely lucky. If we had been physically in the room they said we may not have survived."

Fire crews worked with paramedics at the scene and Electricity North West as they evacuated homes as a safety precaution.

A spokesperson for the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: "At 4pm during a thunderstorm two houses and several cars were damaged by a lightning strike that injured three people on Thornton Road, Manchester.

"Firefighters evacuated several houses and worked with North West Ambulance Service and Electricity North West to make the scene safe and help affected people."

The thunderstorm, which other residents in Manchester said caused their houses to 'shake' on Sunday, also caused flooding brought on by a short burst of torrential rainfall, with some people even trapped in their submerged cars under a railway bridge.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To know...