THIS spectacular image of a bolt of lightning crossing the sky was captured in a North Yorkshire village by Press Camera Club member Linda Ullathorne.

The photo was taken in Ampleforth as thunderstorms swept across a swathe of the county on Monday evening, causing torrential rain and hail in villages such as Green Hammerton and Brandsby.

However some places, including York, experienced virtually no rainfall, to the chagrin of gardeners hoping their parched lawns would get a welcome dousing.

Forecasters say there is little prospect of any significant rainfall in the next few days, apart from isolated showers.

Temperatures are also set to rise to 24C today in York and 25C tomorrow amid sunny spells, after yesterday's slightly cooler weather, and could reach as high as 26C by next Monday after high pressure again builds across the UK.