The Isle of Man was hit by a spectacular thunderstorm on Wednesday evening (May 27), with lightning striking across the island.

After a day of relatively warm temperatures and strengthening winds, the storm took centre stage, with the first rumbles of thunder heard at around 10pm.

Locals and TT visitors shared videos and photographs online showing dramatic lightning displays illuminating the night sky.

One Port Erin resident posted footage on social media, describing the storm as ‘scary’ and saying their power ‘went off for a second’.

The Welbeck Hotel in Douglas also shared a video of the storm, describing it as ‘brilliant’.

Ron Strathdee, from Digitalmanphotography, captured a series of stunning images of lightning from Colby Glen Road looking towards Castletown and commented: ‘That was unexpected!’

Mike Howlings also took an impressive photograph of lightning striking near Port St Mary, while Maddie Everett captured the storm just outside the Shore Hotel in the south of the island.

Nikki Grainger also photographed the dramatic lightning patterns from Ramsey overlooking the Mountain Road.

Despite the intensity of the storm, it is not the first of its kind to hit the Isle of Man.

Speaking after a widespread thunder and lightning event on June 25, 2020, a scientific officer at the Ronaldsway Met Office said: ‘We don’t keep detailed records of the number of lightning flashes etc.

‘However, the one on June 25 (2020) was pretty spectacular by Isle of Man standards.

‘Personally I remember a similar one in July 1995, but there could have been others since.

‘On average, we observe four thunderstorms a year at Ronaldsway, but most of these are a couple of lightning flashes and then they dissipate.’