House partially collapses after thunderstorms and flash flooding hit UK

A house was nearly destroyed after storms battered the UK.

The property partially collapsed on Stockton Road in Chorlton, south Manchester, on Tuesday at around 10.38pm.

The home was unoccupied at the time and there were no reports of injuries, authorities said.

Photographs from the scene showed the roof had collapsed and bricks have been strewn across the front of the property.

A stairwell could be clearly be seen in images taken by neighbours.

A house in Sheffield was also engulfed in flames after it was struck by lightning on Tuesday evening during the volatile weather.

A resident on Stockton Road said: “Initially I heard a loud noise that we thought was lightning.

“We looked out of the window and there was what looked like smoke filling the street, made more apparent when it drifted past a street lamp.

“Then there was a flash, and the next thing the whole chimney stack started to move towards the house next door, almost in slow motion at first.

“And then the majority of the house just seemed to disappear, and the noise was awful.

Read more: ‘Quite a spectacle’ as rainbows and lightning coincide

“Dust clouded the street and the air was thick with it.

“We ran outside to check if it was an empty house, which it appears to be.

“Fire service were on scene within about 10 minutes and have cordoned off the street.

“They have been assessing damage of neighbouring properties since they arrived and appear to be talking to people on the scene.”

Firefighters checked houses on either side of the large three-storey Victorian building to make sure they were safe.

Greater Manchester Police said the incident was reported to officers at 11.05pm on Tuesday.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service added: “At 10.38pm one fire engine from Stretford mobilised to a collapsed house on Stockton Road, Manchester.

“The house was unoccupied at the time so there aren't thought to be any persons involved.”

Storms brought flash flooding to the North West of England, leaving roads and shops submerged.

Thunderstorms hit parts of Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, causing police to urge drivers to drop their speed following reports of traffic collisions.

The Met Office issued two yellow weather warnings for north-west England, south-west Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland.