A lightning strike caused temporary damage to the Dounreay nuclear site in Caithness, it has emerged.
No-one was hurt, but a number of electronic systems for carrying out measurements and monitoring were affected and had to be repaired.
Lightning hit scaffolding in the fuel cycle area, a high security zone with facilities once used to handle and store nuclear material and waste.
The incident came during an electrical storm on 15 January.
Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL) said the plant’s fire and ambulance service stepped up patrols for a time following the lightning strike.
Environmental and radioactivity monitoring systems were unaffected by the incident, DSRL said.
However, a number of electronic access systems such as turnstiles and fire detection surveillance were.
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) have been informed.
Buildings in the fuel cycle area were built during the 1950s.
Via: www.bbc.co.uk