Extraordinary Video - Lightning Strikes Newcastle Tyne Bridge

Newcastle was today hit by a torrential storm which caused devastation within the city and beyond. Major roads were left unpassable, while shops and homes were flooded. The Central Station was closed after flood waters entered the concourse and tracks, while all Metro stations within the city were also shut. During the storm an eye-witness captured the extraordinary moment that lightning struck the ground near the Tyne Bridge. Over 100 motorists can be seen on the bridge at the time of the lightning strike. The huge bolt appears to touch the ground on the Gateshead side of the river, in the vicinity of the Buffalo Joes nightclub. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkua3S0hhQQ Schools were closed early and are unlikely to re-open tomorrow. The nearby Metro Centre shopping centre was also left under water following the storm which saw over one month's worth of rain fall within just an hour. Earlier today a man died after being swept away by floodwater in Shropshire. We have more pictures and updates from the Newcastle flooding here.