The tail-end of a tornado hit Braintree with force when lightning hit the town museum.
The town centre museum almost had to call off its late-night shopping event after a bolt from the blue hit the building's lightning conductor and caused the electricity to cut out.
Councillor Wendy Schmitt witnessed the storm damage while she was chatting in Sainsbury's car park last Thursday morning.
"I said look how black the sky is', and then there was an almighty flash of lightning and crack of thunder. Then I discovered it was the museum that had been hit," she said.
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