Derry: Skies lit up by ‘epic’ lightning show of 9,000 strikes

The force of nature was also felt in Castlederg, County Tyrone, which recorded the hottest temperature in Northern Ireland just hours earlier at 30.8C.

That matches the 30.8C recorded in County Fermanagh in 1976, 50 years ago.

The thunderstorm followed days of scorching weather, with temperatures reaching into the 30s.

It had been expected – but very few expected the lengthy display from the skies above.

Young people in their late teens – many of whom have never seen a “proper” thunderstorm – used their phones to capture the moment.

“What a light show – mother nature at her absolute finest,” said Kevin Carlin.

“The whole sky, for about 50 minutes, was just flash, flash, flash.”

He said the nearest he had seen to that was at a lake in northern Italy.

“I’ve never seen the like of that before in Ireland – really, really impressive.”

The Met Office and the Irish weather service, Met Éireann, had issued warnings following the intense heat on Thursday.

A warning for further thunderstorms is in place across Northern Ireland and much of the Republic on Friday.