LIGHTNING struck a North Yorkshire home, causing the chimney stack to fall down, plug sockets to explode and fireplace to fly off the wall amid a dramatic thunderstorm.

Householder Susan Dearlove said she felt like she was “in a war zone” when the lightning struck her home in Meadow Road, Knaresborough, on Tuesday evening.

“It was absolutely horrendous,” she said.

“The thunder was deafening and then when the lightning struck, I felt like I was in a war zone.

“The house was filled with smoke and bright white light as the bolt hit the house.

“I just didn’t know what had happened at first.”

Susan later found the television aerial had burned out in the attic and the chimney tiles had flown off the roof.

Neighbour Dawn Jackson, who was ironing upstairs when the lightning struck, said she was almost dazzled by it.

She said: “I actually ducked down when the thunder cracked and then the sky was filled with what looked like a ball of fire, it was so bright.”

The sudden storm hit the town at about 8.30pm. Some residents reported their houses shaking, and saw lightning strike the sky directly above Knaresborough and heard massive thunder crashes before an intense downpour soaked properties, gardens and roads.

Susan called 999 and a fire crew arrived and evacuated her and her neighbours.

They were told they would not be able to return that night and the electricity in the street was turned off.

Gas and electric companies visited the house to make it safe and electrical testing will now have to be carried out on all Susan’s electrical goods.

She will be unable to return for two weeks.