A SCOTTISH family have described the terrifying momement a bolt of lighning blasted a hole in a bedroom wall and tore off part of the roof.
The property, in Cove, Aberdeenshire, was hit as Scotland experienced violent storms overnight, with videos emerging of the dramatic weather from across the country.
Karen Bell’s house was struck by lightning at 4am this morning.
Miss Bell, 43, was given a “huge fright” as the bolt ripped a hole through her bedroom wall and caused damage to her living room in the small hours.
The strike also tore a large gap in the eaves of the roof. Her home was plunged into darkness as the strike hit, with fellow locals experiencing a power cut in the surrounding area.
She said: “We were awake already because we have a one-year-old dog who was terrified of the thunder.
“We heard a really loud bang. I can’t even describe what it felt like. It was like an explosion then we were plunged into darkness and the house alarms went off.
“I’ve never experienced anything like it in my life. There was a river running down my street.”
She continued: “The living room wall is damaged and there’s a hole in the bedroom. We’ve got structural damage and it’s blown out a lot of the electrical sockets.
“I’m really shaken by it. I can’t believe it’s happened. It was a huge fright. We are all very lucky to be okay.
“Now we’re just waiting to have the house checked for structural damage and to see whether the insurance companies deem it to be an act of god or not.”
Another Aberdeen local, Irene Adamson, said: “My bedroom sockets went off with a bang. I jumped and screamed when it happened, which set the dog off barking.That is the worst storm in my memory. There was so much thunder and lightning.”
Maija Horne, also from Aberdeen commented: “The lights in our living room blew up. I’m terrified of thunder and lightning as it is and this didn’t help. Something nearby us was definitely hit.”
Amazing footage of lightning flashes in the small hours of this morning has been captured across the Scottish Highlands, whilst one man further south, in Greenock, Inverclyde, also filmed a bolt from the sky.
Forecasters had predicted the stormy weather after large swathes of the country were bathed in glorious sunshine on Tuesday, with some areas reporting temperatures of well above 25 degrees.
Chris Griffiths, who lives in Inverness, captured footage of the storm in the city overnight. His rain-soaked camera managed to film the crackle of thunder and a bright flash in the gloomy, early morning sky.
Greig Warren, from Aberdeen, filmed the lightning above the city this morning. His incredible footage shows the strike dancing above houses, illuminating the night sky.
And Jamie Donnelly, from Greenock, Inverclyde, managed to film a stinning clip of the lightning ripping through the grey, early-morning sky near his house.
The Met Office reported the highest temperature recorded yesterday at 28.3C in Prestwick, Ayrshire, whilst Glasgow enjoyed a high of 26.8C and Edinburgh bathed in a warm 24C.
Oxfordshire was the hottest place in the UK yesterday, clocking a sweltering 33.5C at one stage, whilst the Met Office declared a Level 3 heatwave and urged people to stay safe.
