Four people have been left critically injured after a lightning strike hit near to the White House in Washington DC.
Two males and two females were taken to hospital from the city's Lafayette Park after receiving immediate medical attention from uniformed members of the US Secret Service.
A statement from the District of Columbia Fire and EMS Department confirmed they were "in the process of treating and transporting 4 patients, all in critical condition.
Footage shared on social media showed a large emergency services presence along the main road, which separates the White House from the park.
Fire department spokesman Vito Maggiolo told the Washington Post that the four victims had been found suffering injuries at around 7pm, around 100 feet from the park's bronze statue of General Andrew Jackson.
Officers from the US Park Police were also in attendance. The names and ages of the victims are not yet known.
Lightning strikes were also reported in the neighbouring state of Virginia and across the eastern coast of the United States on Thursday evening after The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning.
A movement of high pressure across the region has also resulted in unusually warm conditions, with temperatures of 37C expected on Thursday (August 5).
Further thunderstorms are likely on Friday and Saturday, according to forecasts from BBC Weather.
A lightning strike nearby at the 554ft Washington Monument last year saw the attraction closed while an electronic access system was repaired.
According to the Centre for Disease Control, the United States saw 17 fatalities and 53 injuries from lightning strikes in 2020.
