A woman has reportedly been hospitalised after she was struck by lightning in a terrifying incident inside her home in Co Offaly.
The horror incident took place at a house in the Crinkle area near Birr in South Offaly on Tuesday in the midst of a Status Yellow thunderstorm warning from Met Éireann.
The incident was reported by numerous local weather channels, including the Ireland Weather Channel run by Offaly meteorologist Cathal Nolan, as well as the Kildare Weather page.
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It's reported that the woman was standing at her kitchen sink at the time of the lightning blast on an outdoor tap.
A Facebook user who said her mother was the subject of this incident said: "Lightning came so bad in Crinkle/Birr today [Tuesday] my mam had an incident where lightning struck the outside tap and travelled into the sink and she was making a cup of coffee and it struck her."
She added through the Kildare Weather page that her mam was in hospital on Tuesday evening for treatment after the scare.
Cathal Nolan from the Ireland Weather Channel wished the woman well in a heartfelt post.
He said he wished the woman "a speedy recovery following her terrifying ordeal."
He also said: "A quick message of thanks to the quick-thinking health professionals at the Doctors surgery in Birr for their rapid treatment in what was their first ever lightning strike case.
"Yesterday’s powerful storms are a reminder of the sheer force of nature and the destructive potential of severe thunderstorms. Lightning, large hail, strong winds and even tornadoes were all reported in yesterday’s storms," he added.
"Thunderstorms will again develop today, though more so across the west and southwest of the country where they again could be severe. More widespread storms are possible tomorrow and Friday," he warned.
Other residents in the same area of Offaly told of their incidents on Tuesday.
One woman said: "Hit my house, through phone line, ripped up and broke tiles in my kitchen. Phone socket blew clean off wall. Fried two televisions and Xbox. Son had phone charging, holding it and got a shock but he's fine thank god."
Another said: "It hit our house too, blew the Internet box and plug flew off the wall!"
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