THUNDER STORM. —On Saturday evening last we were visited with a rather severe thunder storm. The lightning was the most brilliant and continuous we ever saw, playing incessantly from every part of the heavens—taking a variety of forms, now bursting like a bomb, now darting upwards, and then branching off into several trains, similar to trains of wild fire; and then again whole sheets flashing together, making the smallest objects visible. At about half-past nine the rain poured down In a complete deluge, bursting up drains and flooded houses in all directions. At Petersfield, Midhurst, and Haslemere great damage was done by the rain. We hear of some fields being washed down to the ruck, and the corn crop more especially, the barley is knocked down very much. We have not as yet heard of any serious damage to life. At Wiggenholt, near Pulborough, Mr. G. Penfold had a bullock struck dead with the electric fluid; and at Pulborough, Mr. George Gardner had a hog so much injured that he was obliged to kill it. The only other casualty we have heard of is two horses being killed at Shalford. On Sunday night we had a repetition of the storm, only not as violent and unaccompanied with rain.
Portsmouth Times and Naval Gazette - Saturday 09 July 1859
PETERSFIELD
On Saturday evening, the 2nd inst., this place was visited by one of the most severe thunderstorms (for the time it lasted) which has occurred this season. The storm had been gathering for some time, accompanied with a continual rumbling of thunder in the distance. The lightning was never remembered by the oldest inhabitant to have been more continuous, strong, and vivid, darting off in the greatest variety of forks, and streaming throughout the whole of the heavens. Two or three flasks had a very striking effect, seemingly reluctant to vanish. Between 9 and 10 o’clock the rain began to fall in torrents, filling up the gutters, drains, and low parts of the streets, in an incredibly short space of time ; many cellars were filled, and in some yards the water, not having sufficient room to escape, flooded back upon the first floors. We are glad to say that beyond beating down the corn close to the ground in some situations, we have heard of no further damage to any extent. Luckily the rain storm did not longer continue, or might have had something more serious to record.