One killed and scores hurt by lightning as storms rage across Europe

LIGHTNING strikes killed one man and caused serious injuries to scores of adults and children as storms swept western Europe over the weekend.

Eight children aged between seven and nine and three adults were injured at a birthday party in a Paris park when the group sought shelter under a tree. Around six were said to be in a serious condition.

The man in his 40s was killed by a lightning bolt when he was climbing down a mountain in southern Poland.

And in Germany, 35 people were taken to hospital after lightning struck a children’s football match.

Meteorologists said storms usually bubble up over the Continent at this time of year because unstable atmospheric conditions are created when very warm, humid air develops as air higher up cools down.

They said the extraordinary number of casualties could be put down to the fact that the storms were more widespread than usual and had hit on a summer’s weekend, when the weather was otherwise pleasant and warm. Luckily an off-duty firefighter, Pascal Gremillot,

‘They were heading for shelter’

was on hand in the Paris park to administer first aid and heart massages to the children affected.

Fire service spokesman Eric Moulin said: ‘It was while they were heading for shelter, when they were still near a tree, that the lightning came down.’

Michel Daloz of weather agency MeteoFrance said that between 100 and 200 people are struck by lightning every year in the country, killing between ten and 20 people. He stressed that trees often attract lightning so they should never be used as shelter in storms.

In the incident on Saturday in Hoppstadten, Germany, three adults in their 40s were seriously injured, including the referee who suffered a cardiac arrest after taking a direct hit.

Another 32 people, among them 30 children aged nine to 11, were taken to hospital as a precaution.

Torrential rain also stopped play at the French Open tennis tournament as defending champion Serena Williams was about to start a match against Kristina Mladenovic.