Portsmouth road 'damaged by lightning strike'
A road has been extensively damaged by a suspected lightning strike.
Portsmouth City Council said the cracked surface in Schooner Way, Southsea, was "most likely due to a lightning strike" in the early hours.
The Met Office said the damage appeared to be similar to the effect of lightning strikes on buildings.
Meteorologist Alex Burkill said: "It isn't too common to see roads struck as you'll often have street lights which will be taller objects with enough of an influence on the area around it.
"However, the horizontal influence of an object is roughly proportional to its height.
"Therefore, if the lightning was descending directly above the road, there will be little influence of a 5m (16ft) high house 10m (33ft) away."
