LIGHTNING caused chaos in York today, striking two houses and knocking out rail signalling equipment to bring trains to a halt.

All services in and out of York station were delayed, as engineers sought to repair damage to the signalling equipment.

A Railtrack spokesman said signalling modules at both ends of York station were struck at about 9am.

He said engineers were quickly at work to get the equipment back on line.

Trains started moving again at 9.30am, but he anticipated that services would be delayed throughout the morning.

Two people escaped unhurt after their home in Holly Bank Road, off Holgate Road, was struck by lightning.

Torrential rain also caused flooding in Portland Street off Gillygate, Wigginton Road and Holgate Road.

Fire crews were called to the house in Holly Bank Road after a neighbour saw the lightning strike shortly before 9am.

The neighbour awoke the two young people inside as the fire took hold in the attic.

Tony Thornton, who witnessed the incident, and who roused the sleeping occupants, said the lightning entered through a skylight window and blew tiles off the roof.

He said: "I didn't think anyone was in the house at the time because it was such a loud crack and you would think anyone in there would have heard it. But they didn't know the house was on fire.

"The flames were shooting out of the window within about ten seconds."

One of the occupants of the house appeared extremely shaken after his lucky escape.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said it had received 11 calls between 8.45am and 9.22am, of which ten were automatic fire alarms believed to have been activated by the storm. Extra pumps were drafted in from Malton and Knaresborough.

Houses were hit in Mount Vale and Kilburn Road, but without causing any damage.

The storm was just the latest in a series to lash North Yorkshire, including one yesterday which brought thick hail to the road between Hutton-le-Hole and Lastingham on the North York Moors, making it look like the middle of winter. Firefighters from Kirkbymoorside were called in to Lastingham itself to deal with flash floods that hit the village.

But in York and East Yorkshire, sunseekers were blessed with warm sunshine and only a few light showers.

A spokeswoman for the PA Weather Centre said she was not surprised that hail had hit the region, saying that with heavy, thundery showers, hail can arrive at any time of year.

She said that the North York Moors was among areas affected yesterday by a band of showers which did not arrive in places further south.

There was better news for the coming Ebor race week in York, with tomorrow looking set to be more settled, but temperatures would still not get to 20 Celsius.

PICTURE: STORM DAMAGE: A firefighter, using a turntable ladder, views the roof of a house on the junction of Holly Bank Road and Hamilton Drive East, York, which was struck by lightning today