'Spectacular' lightning storm lights up Isle of Man sky

Spectacular strikes were witnessed in the island's capital, Douglas, on Thursday night

People on the Isle of Man witnessed a "spectacular" thunderstorm on Thursday evening.

The storm, which began shortly after 21:30 BST, lasted throughout the night.

The Isle of Man Met Office said although detailed records of the number of lightning strikes were not recorded, the weather had been "pretty spectacular" by the island's standards.

It is thought to be the biggest thunderstorm to hit the island for 25 years.

Calvin Else, 14, captured footage of a street light being struck

Calvin Else, who captured footage of lightning striking a street light on his phone, said it was "the first time I've seen lightning like it on the island".

The 14-year-old, who witnessed the "very big" strike from his family home in Peel, said "surprisingly, the street light kept going".

"It dipped for a second, then came back on," he added.

His father Stephen said the display was "incredible", adding: "We stood by the window for about half an hour and watched the show."

The storm is thought to be the largest of its kind on the island since 1995

A Manx Utilities spokeswoman said it had received "a number of customer calls regarding electricity issues", although many were "internal electricity problems where the trip needed resetting".

Street lights also went out in Crosby but had since been restored, she added.

Stephen Marsh, who watched the storm from his home in Fleshwick, said it was "very quiet to start with" before "the clouds got dark and then it was right above us".

He added that it had been "quite beautiful".

People in Ramsey also witnessed the storm

The Met Office spokesman said the island usually experienced about four thunderstorms a year, but most were "a couple of lightning flashes and then they dissipate".

"One of the main factors initiating the storm was the hot temperatures experienced yesterday, 25.6°C at Ronaldsway was the highest since 2nd July 2018," he added.

The storm also brought 22mm of rain at Ronaldsway between 22:00 and 23:00.

The bright display was captured by Stephen Marsh from his home in Fleshwick