Isle of Man lightning strike blows hole in roof of house

A lightning strike caused severe damage to the roof of a home on the Isle of Man, leaving the owners with no choice but to leave.

The bolt hit Melanie Smith's house in Douglas in the early hours, causing debris to fall through the hallway while switches and sockets were blown apart.

Emergency services said four homes in total were hit during the thunderstorm.

Ms Smith said the drama had left the family "shell-shocked".

She said she was awake during the storm with her daughter and partner as the thunder got "louder and louder" near their home at Pinehurst Glen.

She described the moment the strike hit as "like being bombed".

"My daughter saw the lightning come down through the house and it all happened in a second," she added.

Neighbour Mike Dee said it was "like an explosion" and shook his own home.

Ms Smith said her family would look for temporary accommodation while the extensive damage was repaired.

Fire crews were called to homes mainly in the east of the island while the storm raged between 04:00 and 05:00 BST.

Manx Telecom said some strikes had caused issues for broadband customers, while Manx Utilities said others were left without power.

Sigrun Jonsdottir's home on Hillside Avenue was also hit, causing a section of the roof to collapse while the chimney stack was destroyed.

"All of a sudden it was just a big boom and there was fire, like a blaze, and I heard the crumpling of the roof," she said.

"It was very scary. I didn't know what was going on, it was really really loud, and I have never experienced anything like it."

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