Atleast one thousand chickens have been struck dead by a single bolt of lightning in western Zimbabwe.

That country’s meteorological services department is warning of more storms and a heightened potential for flash flooding and lightning strikes this week.

Pictures published by the Sunday News show the charred remains of chickens at the poultry farm in Ntabazinduna, Matabeleland North.

The lightning struck during one of several torrential rain showers that hit the region last week.

Poultry farmer Sidumisile Mathe described a huge ball of fire that engulfed her poultry run, killing all 1,000 of her chickens just three days before they were due to go to market.

She told the paper her losses ran into tens of thousands of rand.

Zimbabwe’s deadly lightning strikes claim the lives of up to 100 people each year.