Isle of Man lightning strike destroys house roof

The roof of the semi-detached house was damaged in the strike

A lightning strike has destroyed part of the roof of a home in the south of the Isle of Man.

Police and fire crews were called following the strike in the Ponyfields estate in Port Erin earlier.

The house was empty at the time and nobody was injured, Isle of Man Constabulary confirmed.

A Met Office spokesman said it was a "highly unusual event" as the island has one of the lowest incidences of lightning in Europe.

He said up to 15 strikes were recorded in the southwest of the island as a result of a slow-moving thunderstorm, although not all would have reached the ground.

He added the cold sea surrounding the island means temperatures rarely rise high enough for frequent lightning strikes, which are more common in warmer conditions.

Manx Utilities confirmed the strike had disrupted some electricity supplies in Ballakillowey and Colby and work was being carried out to restore services.