Thunderstorms Sheffield: Girl, 6, 'thrown onto bed' by lightning strike in Heeley, and TVs stop working

Stacey Sim told The Star her six-year-old daughter Lily was sitting watching the thunderstorm from a windowsill upstairs at their home on Thornborough Road, Heeley, this evening, Sunday, July 9, when the terrifying incident happened.

She said: "The lightning’s come through the window and hit her on the foot, throwing her onto the bed. It hit me on the hand too. Lily’s complaining that her foot hurts, and I’ve got a blister on my hand, but thankfully neither of us was badly injured. We’re just a bit shook up.

“There was just a big flash of light. It was so frightening. Everyone in the house was screaming. I looked out of the window afterwards and I could see lots of smoke. My mum’s next door neighbour said her TV’s blown up too, and my aunt’s has also stopped working. I’d just like to warn people not to let their kids sit on the windowsill during a thunderstorm, and to watch out for their TVs.”

Stacey’s aunt, Heather Sim, who lives on Madehurst Road, Heeley, told The Star how she was at home with her six-year-old grandson when they saw a big flash, heard a loud bang and the TV went off. She said she couldn’t see any damage to the TV but it would not switch back on, yet the other electrical appliances in the house were still working, including their other TVs which were turned off at the time.

“I can’t believe the lightning’s blown my TV like that,” she said. “We’re at the top of the hill, near the homes on East Bank Road which were struck last night, so I guess it’s hitting us because we’re so high up. You get told to switch your lights and TV off when there’s a thunderstorm. I switched the lights off but I didn’t think to turn the TV off.”

On Saturday night, firefighters battled two house fires in Sheffield after lightning struck a nearby telegraph pole, and a neighbour said it had caused their television to ‘blow up’. Heavy rain also caused flash flooding in parts of the city.

Should I switch my TV off before a thunderstorm? What is the safety advice?

The Met Office website states that lightning can cause power surges and people should unplug any non-essential appliances before a thunderstorm if they are not already using a surge protector. During a thunderstorm, it says people should try to avoid using the landline, unless it is an emergency, as telephone lines can conduct electricity.

Sony’s website states that lightning can cause an electric shock or damage to TVs. When lightning strikes are forecast, it advises people to turn off their TVs and disconnect them from the mains. They are also advised to disconnect all the cables connected outside the TV, like the antenna cable, HDMI cable, and LAN cable. When thunder begins to sound, it states, you should not touch antenna cables or power plugs due to the risk of electric shocks.