The Holiday Inn in Fareham was struck by lightning during this
afternoon's series of thunderstorms (see my earlier posts). The hotel
reception, kitchens, conference rooms and restaurant were gutted
before 100 fire fighters could bring it under control. Fortunately,
the staff and guests were all safely evacuated.

The hotel is on the A27 one mile from where I live and it explains the
long series of emergency services' sirens I heard this afternoon when
outside emptying my rain guage - just after 4pm. The fire broke out at
3.45pm and sirens were still sounding over half an hour later. The
fire station is only two miles away so many support vehicles must have
been called in from Southampton and Portsmouth.

Thank goodness no one seems to have been injured but it just goes to
show how dangerous these storms can be. Exciting it certainly was (I
mean the TS!!!) but dangerous indeed. Probably the most exciting
"weather day" around these parts for over a decade!

Another 6 mm of rain since my post 3 hours ago brings the daily total
since midnight up to 32mm, 29 mm of which fell in the last 10 hours
(since 9 am BST).

--
Dave
Squelchy Fareham (West)

Dave Ludlow wrote:
The Holiday Inn in Fareham was struck by lightning during this
afternoon's series of thunderstorms (see my earlier posts). The hotel
reception, kitchens, conference rooms and restaurant were gutted
before 100 fire fighters could bring it under control. Fortunately,
the staff and guests were all safely evacuated.

I drove past there a few minutes after 4pm when there was just one fire
engine in the car park. There was hardly anyone else about, except for
a passer-by with a handheld video camera (who I later saw being
interviewed on the BBC) and one policeman directing the traffic. Part
of the roof collapsed as I waited to pull out onto the A27 roundabout.

Stuart.