The South West is currently preparing for Storm Eustice to hit - but almost exactly two years ago to the day there was another storm battering the region.
It has been two years since an intense, singular lightning bolt struck Bristol. The dazzling phenomena hit Bishopston, just off Gloucester Road, on February 16 at around 9pm, before the sound of crashing thunder could be heard soon after.
The lightning strike was heard as far away as Portishead despite being hitting Bishopston, around 10 miles away. One man, Geoff from Horfield, said the lightning bolt looked like a fireball explosion.
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The Met Office told Bristol Live at the time that this lightning bolt wasn't part of a larger storm and was instead an isolated strike within the city. Met Office spokesman Graham Madge said: "After Storm Dennis moved through Bristol, an area of very cold air moved through after the storm. It travelled up from the South West towards the North and then slipped Eastwards towards Bristol, bringing a cold front area through the city.
"In Bristol, the ground temperature was very warm just after 9pm, whereas the air temperature was very cold. This allowed conditions for a very showery air mass to develop which led to a quick series of thunderstorms to cross the city. A series of very isolated and local thunderstorms then formed because of all of these conditions."
Despite eyewitnesses claiming that the lightning bolt was huge, the Met Office confirmed it was not much different to a usual strike.
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Mr Madge said: "This lightning strike was nothing more potent than a usual lightning strike. The lightning flash could be seen for miles around because Bristol is a very compact city.
"This just highlights the intensity of one single lightning strike. To sum up, this was one powerful event containing lots of energy."
Fast forward two years and Bristol is still being battered by drastic weather. Storm Dudley ripped through the region last night and caused chaos within Bristol City Centre.
An area of the centre at Broad Quay has been cordoned off for nearly 24 hours due to safety concerns after unstable material blowing off the roof of the Radisson Blu hotel.
Then tomorrow Storm Eunice is going to land in Bristol. A very rare red weather warning has been issued for parts of Bristol alongside a major incident being declared. Several schools across the region have also announced closures tomorrow to ensure the safety of their pupils.
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