LIGHTNING struck a block of flats in Swanage in the early hours of this morning.

Firefighters rushed to the property in Taunton Road after they were called to the scene at 12.38am, Tuesday, October 31.

The fire service said fire alarms were sounding and there was a smell of burning in the communal areas.

One fire crew from Swanage attended and carried out a full inspection, both internal and external, of the premises.

Swanage Fire Station said: “On arrival crews searched the building and found that it had been hit by lightning causing damage to the roof and brickwork.

A Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “There was damage to the roof, believed to have been caused by a lightning strike, but no sign of fire so our stop was at 1.49am.”

It comes after days of disruptive weather with further heavy rain and wind forecast on Wednesday and Thursday with the arrival of Storm Ciarán.

Two separate weather warnings - one for rain and another for strong winds - have been issued by the Met Office.

Winds of up to 80mph are expected along the south coast, including Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole.