Lightning strikes Empire State Building amid severe storms

The storms made for impressive photos

During a hot summer night, a photographer managed to capture the exact moment a bolt of lightning hit the Empire State Building.

The video and pictures, captured by Henrik Moltke, show one of the tallest skyscrapers in the city being hit several times by pink-coloured lightning.

Mr Moltke uploaded the video to YouTube and twitter, and it quickly spread online.

Monday’s heatwave saw temperatures soaring into the high 90s before a storm broke out around 4.30pm.

The 102-story Empire State Building is a veritable lightning rod - it is struck around 23 times per year, but the action is less rarely caught on camera.

Construction on the building started in March 1930 at the start of an epic economic downturn, but was completed just over a year later.

Around 3.5 million people now visit the building and its observation deck every year.

Elsewhere in New York, heavy rain prompted mobile phone users to receive "flash flood" warnings in five boroughs, downed trees and caused travel chaos.

Multiple areas, especially by the city's East river, were quickly flooded.

The Long Island Rail Road also suspended parts of its service due to fallen trees and signal problems.

Humidity and high temperatures in the early 90s are expected to continue in New York this week and will cool off at the weekend.