I was on the phone when it happened; sitting at the dining room table, which is actually a sort of office area rather than somewhere one could eat.
The weather has been really April-like today, alternating greyness, sun, and sudden heavy showers.
The water was pouring down, and, without any warning, there was a mighty explosion and brilliant flash of white light, apparently in the garden just the other side of the French Windows. It was so loud, so violent, so unexpected that I nearly threw the phone in the air as I cowered away from the glass.
That was it, just the one stupendous explosion, followed by the sound of the neighbour's car alarm.
Thunderstorm over.
Everyone (except me - I was on the phone, remember?) rushed outside to check for damage - but nothing appeared to have changed. The TV aerials were still in place, the chimneys intact, the neighbours special weather-station equipment in just as it was.
Inside, once he had finished dripping, further inspection was done. TV - check. Computer - check, oh, wait a minute, no internet, no wireless. Our clever black box (router?) was dead. The neighbour next door has lost the serial connection to his weather station. His neighbour's television stopped working, and also the telephone, but he still has broadband. (? weird or what?) and our other neighbour's elderly Sky box has gone phut.
We think it must have been a ground strike, as we cannot find any sign of damage anywhere, but it must have been close. Nothing outside seems singed or burnt or smouldering (shame that, it would have solved the problem of dismantling our decaying garage and shed nicely if it had all gone up in smoke.)
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