The dramatic explosions of roads in Bath during Monday’s storm were caused by burst water pipes, not lightning strikes, according to Bath and North East Somerset Council.
On the evening of June 22, intense rainfall led to severe damage on Twerton High Street and Ralph Allen Drive in Widcombe, creating large holes in the tarmac. While Twerton High Street remains open, Ralph Allen Drive has been closed as a 40-metre section requires resurfacing.
Despite social media reports claiming lightning had struck Twerton High Street, the council clarified that the damage resulted from overwhelmed drainage systems that caused water pipes to burst under the heavy downpour. A council spokesperson explained, “The intense rainfall overwhelmed the drainage system, causing burst pipes and damage to the road. Wessex Water will carry out repairs once weather conditions allow.”
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Eyewitness accounts on Facebook varied, with some witnessing what they believed was a lightning strike, and others describing water gushing from manhole covers and the road swelling up about three feet where water forced its way to the surface.
Bath experienced an extraordinary 30mm of rain in just one hour between 6pm and 7pm on Monday, compared to the typical monthly average of 55mm for June. The storm also caused a lightning strike that set a house on fire in nearby Bristol.