13 July 2023 , 13:56
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A mum has recalled the horrifying moment her six-year-old girl was "thrown" onto her bed after being struck by lightning through her bedroom window.
Stacey Sim, from Sheffield, said her daughter Lily was sent flying when the city was struck by extreme weather earlier this week.
The family were watching the thunderstorm when the horrifying incident took place.
The 31-year-old mum said she was also struck by lightning and has been left with a large blister on her hand, while Lily has marks on her foot.
She explained: “The lightning came through the window and hit her on the foot, throwing her onto the bed.
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“It was a normal night in our house doing the regular nighttime routine. I’d just bathed Lily, put her pyjamas on and got her ready for bed when I noticed the storm.
Lily's foot now (Jam Press)“At around 6.20pm, we started to watch the storm from inside the house. Lily was positioned on the windowsill and I was stood next to her.
“We watched the storm in amazement, which appeared to be getting heavier. Twenty minutes into watching, the lightning started to increase.
“That’s when it got through the window and struck Lily on the foot. She was thrown on to the bed – I was in complete shock.
“Just after this, the lightning struck me, hitting me on the hand. Lily’s foot was so red and sore, and I’ve been left with a large blister on my hand.
A blister on Stacey's hand (Jam Press)“I just wanted to get her away from the window as quickly as I could, and her foot was hurting her so we put an ice-pack on it.
“She was absolutely terrified and I was so shocked I couldn’t register what had just happened.”
The incident occurred on Sunday at the family’s home in Heeley. As if what happened to Stacey and Lily wasn’t bizarre enough, the rest of the family was also affected.
The mum added: “After all this had happened, I noticed there was smoke at the front of my house.
“I think the lightning had struck something and blown it up – that’s how dangerous it was.
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“My auntie Heather lives just across the road from me. When I got over there she told me her TV had been struck.
“It’s now ruined and has stopped working.
Heather's TV that no longer works after it was struck by lightning (Jam Press)
The bedroom window that the lightning came through (Jam Press)“She was in complete shock, I think everyone was as you hear about people being struck by lightning but don’t expect it to actually happen.
“Heather said she couldn’t see any damage to the TV but it would not switch back on, yet the other electrical appliances in the house were still working, including their other TVs, which were turned off at the time.”
Stacey has shared her story to raise awareness for other parents, sharing her advice to anyone affected by a similar situation.
(Jam Press)
The family were watching the thunderstorm when the horrifying incident took place (Jam Press)She added: “For any other parents in this situation I would advise just not to watch a storm. Make sure to keep safe and stay away from windows.
“We’ve found out the hard way quite how dangerous they can be.”
The Met Office's latest forecast shows disruptive and unsettled weather is set to continue this week.