Homes damaged after multiple lightning strikes during 'significant thunderstorm'

Homes were damaged and an elderly lady was treated by paramedics after a 'significant thunderstorm' resulted in multiple lightning strikes across a county, fire service bosses have revealed.

At one property, a lightning strike caused the collapse of an internal wall as firefighters in Derbyshire scrambled to attend a series of emergencies on Saturday night. Fierce lightning strikes are reported to have hit roofs, with another property reported to have been left 'smoke-logged'.

Control room operators reported 'widespread thunder and lightning' and a 'busy night' across the county. One elderly lady said to have been 'affected' by a lightning strike was treated by East Midlands Ambulance Service, with the fire service saying she was left 'understandably shaken'.

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Group Manager at Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service, David Diggins, said: "It has been a busy night for the county's emergency services dealing with the impact of a significant thunderstorm. Firefighters were mobilised by our 999 control room operators to several properties believed to have been hit by lightning.

"Due to the severity of the storm and lightning in the area, a decision had to be taken that it was too dangerous to use the aerial ladder platform to fight a fire in the roof of one property in Littleover. Additional fire crews were mobilised to support firefighters working to extinguish the fire from the ground.

Firefighters scrambled to the property on Blagreaves Lane in Littleover after lightning hit the roof, but thankfully no one was injured.

A two-story property was struck by lightning on Dannah Street, Ripley and in Melbourne, several properties were impacted after a lightning strike hit connecting cabling in properties.

Flats in Jubilee Close, Melbourne, lost their electrical supply after a strike, with one property having an internal wall blown down.

A fire service spokesman said: "Firefighters from Long Eaton and Kingsway attended a property on Castle Street, also connected to the Jubilee Close flats. There was no visible sign of fire. One elderly lady is believed to have been affected by the lightning strike and was handed into the care of East Midlands Ambulance Service."