A FAMILY home in Kent was struck by a thunderbolt at the height of the storms that swept across the county on Tuesday night.

A huge hole was smashed in the centre of the roof of the detached house in The Oaks, off Beacon Road, at St Peter's village, near Broadstairs.

The fire that followed the strike wrecked half the upstairs of the property, with torrential rain flooding into the rest of the building.

More than 25 firefighters from the Thanet station at Broadstairs and Margate, plus the Margate retained and Westgate retained crews, tackled the flames and flooding, putting protective covering over furniture to try and lessen water damage.

Two occupants, described as elderly, were taken to hospital for treatment for shock but were not injured.

The bolt hit the roof at 9.26pm and fire crews were at the scene until midnight.

Click here to view a picture gallery of Tuesday night's storms and their aftermath >>>