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Extreme weather causes blaze and shuts airport

 Extreme weather has caused extensive damage to infrastructure across the West of England and led to the closure of dozens of schools and an airport.



A lightning strike caused the roof of a house to set on fire as warm temperatures gave way to thunderstorms on Monday night.

"[It was] an explosion like a bomb going off," said Laura Sharp, who was sitting with her family watching the storm from her home in Emersons Green, Bristol, when the lightning hit the house behind her.

The heatwave also led to the closure of Bristol Airport on Monday night, while many schools announced they would be shutting for part of the week. Another Emersons Green resident who heard the lightning strike said her TV "blew up".

Karen MacDonald said: "I thought it was something in our roof because it was so loud. We felt [the shockwave] go up our legs. We were in shock... it was horrific," she said. "The internet went out, the TVs went off, the lights were on, the alarms were all going off and then we saw the flames so we immediately called the fire brigade.

"It literally happened in seconds. It was terrifying to be honest, really scary."

Both neighbours were given the all-clear to return to their homes later that evening.

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