Alitalia plane struck by lightning

While none of the 111 passengers on board Alitalia flight AZ2016 was injured, many were reportedly left shaken by the incident which caused some minor damage to the aircraft.

The plane took off from Rome’s Fiumicino airport at 8am as the city was struck by a hailstorm and heavy rain for more than 30 minutes. 

This is the third time in less than two years that an Alitalia jet has been struck by lightning. In February 2014, a plane was hit by a lightning bolt as it landed in Genoa, while in November of the same year another of the flagship airline's planes was forced to make an emergency landing in Rome after being struck.