Lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a big clap of thunder. I thought it was just another storm, and I stood at the window waiting for the heavens to open.

But something was different. The wind was picking up unnaturally fast and the sky had turned black.

As the wind blew stronger and stronger, the windows started to rattle and I began to worry. They seemed to bend under the force of the wind. The bed was just 3ft away so I darted towards it and began to scramble underneath. I was only halfway under when everything stopped.

The drama had passed. I moved tentatively back to the window. It was raining slightly and within about 15 seconds the sun was shining.

Looking out into the garden, I could see that our corrugated garage roof had been peeled off like the lid of a tin of baked beans.

When I went outside, I saw that the whole front wall of the end-of-terrace house had come off. Goodness knows what was holding the roof up. I saw one of the girls who lives there. She was completely white. I didn’t really know what to say so I went and gave her a hug.

My mind turned to the cat. I hurried back to the house to look for it, worried it might be trapped under debris.

It was sat on the sofa as if nothing had happened.

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