Case file · High strangeness
The Great Thunderstorm of Widecombe
On Sunday 21 October 1638 a fireball struck the packed church of St Pancras, Widecombe-in-the-Moor, during the afternoon service, killing four people and injuring about sixty.
1638 CE · 50.58, -3.81 · status: explained
The account
Contemporary pamphlets reported a smell of sulphur, a great ball of fire, stones torn from the tower and people burned. Local legend blamed the Devil, said to have come for a gambler who fell asleep during the sermon.
The sceptical view
The event is real and well recorded; the usual explanation is ball lightning or a severe lightning strike on the tower.