SHOPPERS at a Suffolk supermarket had a lucky escape when lightning struck a nearby car park.The incident, which happened at Tesco Express in Bury St Edmunds, was the result of one of many storms to make their way across the county's skies yesterday morning.

SHOPPERS at a Suffolk supermarket had a lucky escape when lightning struck a nearby car park.

The incident, which happened at Tesco Express in Bury St Edmunds, was the result of one of many storms to make their way across the county's skies yesterday morning.

And weather experts said yesterday's downpour marked the onset of autumn for the region.

“We have had one or two quite heavy thunderstorms, and some places had a lot of rain in a short space of time,” said Jim Bacon, from WeatherQuest at the University of East Anglia.

“There is a warm area drifting up from France which has given us temperatures of four degrees above normal, although the evenings and nights are getting colder.”

Mr Bacon said yesterday's lightening strike was not unusual. “You can get thunderstorms at any time of year,” he said, adding his prediction for the rest of the week and the weekend was that the weather would be fine and dry with some hazy sunshine.

“It was a warm September, and it looks to be carrying on that way into October,” he said.

No one was hurt during yesterday's lightning strike, which happened at around 11am.

A member of staff said: “We felt the bang of the lightning this morning when we were in the office.

“One of our drivers said he saw the lightning, but as far as I know no-one has been struck."