A dad has told of his shock after a lightning strike effectively blew off the chimney of his home.
The freak weather has caused significant damage at Derek Neilson's house, to the expected cost of up to €3,000 (£2,600).
Derek was in the sitting room of the property when the lightning struck, but thankfully he was not injured during the storm.
It happened in Tallaght, Dublin, on Monday, when large swathes of Republic of Ireland and the UK were battered by heavy rain and storms - just hours after the hottest day of the year so far in Great Britain.
Speaking to Dublin Live, Derek said he heard a "big bang and a crash" and saw what he thought was smoke filling the room.
Neighbours dashed to Derek's aid as parts of chimney fell to the ground.
"Two or three of our neighbours ran over and started putting ladders up. One of the neighbours Paul and a friend of mine jumped up on the roof and the two of them secured it against water. I'd just like to send out a big thanks to the pair of them," Derek added
"What I thought was smoke was actually stuff from the chimney after coming into the sitting room so I've cleaned that up. I got my alarm fixed today and I got the chimney that was looking a bit dangerous taken down first thing this morning.
"I haven't been sleeping properly. I had about four hours of sleep or something last night. Every little crack I heard in the house I thought was the chimney coming down."
Derek remains "in shock" after the episode, which happened as wind gusts exceeded 15mph across Ireland on Monday.
The father said: "I'm just still ticking along with it and getting the house cleaned back up."
His sister has created a fundraiser to help cover repair costs. To donate to the fundraiser, click here.
