A HOME was left uninhabitable after being hit by lightning in last night's storm.

A savage thunder storm battered Reading with scores of homes, businesses and schools flooded and motorists getting stuck in deep water.

Crews were called to a school in Sonning Lane, Sonning, which was struck by a lightning bolt. There was no significant damage however.

Meanwhile in Woodley, firefighters had to douse a blaze in a garage after it caught alight.

A house in Oregon Avenue, Tilehurst, had to be evacuated after electricity surged down its aerial, blowing the sockets throughout the four-bedroomed property and sparking a fire in the loft.

"The lightning hit aerial and went into the wires," said watch manager Steve Trenery from Dee Road fire station.

"It blew sockets off across the whole house and electrical items throughout were destroyed.

"This caused a fire in the loft which was quickly dealt with by two crews.

"However the home is uninhabitable due to the electrical damage and items will need to be replaced.

"We managed to contain the fire in the property and stop the roof burning off."

Maiden Erlegh School is closed today (Wednesday, July 19) after flooding in the night.

Fire crews were also called to deal with flooding in Homebase on Kenavon Drive and Clarks in Broad Street.

A tree (pictured) came down at the junction of Watlington Street and London Road. 

Wokingham's firefighters were called to Millbank Crescent in Woodley as a garage was destroyed by a sparked by the storm.

Watch manager James Hunt added: "We went to a garage fire believed to be caused by the storm.

"It was completely destroyed by the fire but we stopped it spreading to the house or next door's garage.

"It was an asbestos roof which added to the difficulty."

Large sections of Northumberland Avenue and Vastern Road were left underwater as flash floods left drivers stranded.

Crew manager Charlie Bell from Caversham fire station said they spent a lot of the night dealing with fire alarms triggered by power surges and localised flooding.

"We were trying to help anyone we could," he said.

"There were cars misjudging the road and getting stuck.

"Storm drains were being overwhelmed and there was flooding on Vastern Road with two cars stuck in sewage water.

"We used the bumper to push them out."