Video of the dramatic lightning strike at the World Trade Center has been viewed 2 million times

A video capturing the moment lightning struck the spire of One World Trade Center in New York City during a thunderstorm has gone viral on social media.

Photographer Max Guliani tweeted the clip of the spectacular moment of lightning striking the skyscraper on Saturday night, writing, “Thunderstorms over One World Trade tonight.”

The clip has accumulated more than two million views and more than 14,000 likes.

Commenters reacted with awe, with one person saying the clip was “probably the most incredible shot of lightning you’ll ever see”.

Others also shared photos and videos they took during the storm on Twitter.

Gary Hershorn, a photojournalist, tweeted two photos of the moment lightning struck One World Trade Center.

His images from Hoboken, New Jersey, show lightning bolts fanning out across the sky over Lower Manhattan, the Hudson River, and Jersey City.

The National Weather Service said a severe thunderstorm watch was issued through 10 p.m. Saturday night for parts of New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Massachusetts.

The NWS warned people wind gusts of up to 65mph, hail and tornadoes were possible.

Early Sunday, the NWS New York City office said in a tweet that the worst of the storm had passed and Sunday was expected to be sunny.

“Last batch of shower activity is shifting east over eastern reaches,” the tweet said. “All showers will end in the east over the next hour, with clouds and stratus remaining for a good part of the night. Back to the sunshine on Sunday!”

Severe weather threats and tornado watches were also issued for parts of Pennsylvania and Delaware on Saturday.

It came after a powerful storm system tore through the South and Midwest on Friday, killing at least 26 people.

The deadly weather, including multiple tornadoes, destroyed homes and businesses in several states including Arkansas, Illinois and Indiana.

A tornado swept through several neighborhoods in Little Rock, Arkansas on Friday, killing one person and causing widespread damage. The NWS said preliminary information indicated the tornado was a high-end EF3 twister with winds up to 165 mph (265 km/h) and a length of about 30 miles (48 kilometers).

And in Belvidere, Illinois, a theater roof collapsed during a sold-out heavy metal concert, killing one person and injuring 28.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden visited Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on Friday to see for himself the aftermath of a deadly tornado that swept through cities in Mississippi and neighboring states a week ago.