Lightning strikes spark fires and chaos in central Sweden

A 19th-century mission house near Norrtälje caught fire after a lightning strike on Sunday, as severe thunderstorms swept across central Sweden, according to SVT.

The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) issued warnings for torrential rain in eastern Svealand, including large parts of Stockholm and Uppsala counties, as well as southern Gävleborg. Thunderstorms brought heavy downpours, hail, and lightning, with around 4,000 strikes recorded in southern Sweden, per TT.

In Norrtälje municipality, the historic Issjö Lägergård mission house near Länna Kyrksjö was struck by lightning, igniting a blaze that tore through the roof. Witness Torbjörn Frilund described a sudden, deafening crash followed by visible flames.

Elsewhere, a barn in Haninge was completely engulfed by fire, likely caused by a lightning strike, according to duty officer Kenneth Karlsson. In Alunda, Uppsala county, a UL bus on a parking lot burned out, a probable lightning strike, said Marie Nordahl of the Greater Stockholm Fire Brigade Federation. The bus was a total loss and required removal.