Wild storm causes chaos on Australia’s east coast with lightning strikes, hail and damaging winds – and the weekend forecast isn’t looking much better
- Electrical storms light up Sydney and especially its south and Illawarra region
- Dramatic hail, rain and lightning strikes lashed the area on Thursday evening
- Perth facing more scorching weather, getting even hotter at end of next week
A wild electrical storm has lashed Australia’s east coast, bringing lightning strikes, heavy rain, hail and a warning to avoid power lines and windows because of damaging winds.
A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for south-western Sydney and the the Campbelltown area and greater Wollongong, after emerging storm cells battered a huge area to the city’s south.
On social media one commuter took shelter from a downpour inside a Bunnings car park and filmed rain being blown horizontally inside the building until it resembled a ‘car wash’.
Hail, lightning and damaging winds assaulted Sydney from the city to the Illawarra on Thursday evening as locals were told to stay safe inside
A wild electrical storm has lashed millions of Australians, bringing lightning strikes, heavy rain, hail and a warning to people to avoid power lines and windows because of damaging winds
A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for south-western Sydney and the the Campbelltown area and greater Wollongong, after emerging storm cells battered a huge area to the city’s south
Hail covered the pitch before kick-off in the A-League Women’s match between Wellington Phoenix and Adelaide United in Wollongong
Elsewhere lightning strikes lit up southern skies at dusk, producing an extraordinary multi-coloured sunset in southern Sydney.
The storm was detected at Campbelltown and Appin and was due to hit then Sutherland, Liverpool and Helensburgh at 8pm.
‘Marble-sized hail’ pelted southern Sydney and the Illawarra region and covered the pitch before kick-off in the A-League Women’s match between Wellington Phoenix and Adelaide United at WIN Stadium.
Bizarre and dangerous lightning strikes were detected across Sydney on Thursday
The storm dumped heavy rain on the city at dusk and headed south east
The combination of electrical storms and the sunset produced some remarkable skies in Sydney’s south
Further north, the Sydney metro area and parts of the Hunter, Illawarra and Central Tablelands districts were also subject to a general thunderstorm warning.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned people in affected areas to stay ‘at least eight metres from fallen power lines or objects that may be energised [by lightning strikes], such as fences.’
They also warned people to remain inside if possible, and to keep ‘away from windows, and keep children and pets indoors as well’.
Even after the storms recede, Sydney looks set to face a miserable few days.
Heavy rain is forecast for Friday and there is a high chance of showers on Saturday and storms, with rain also possible on Sunday, and storms again forecast for Monday.
Melbourne is set to warm up for the weekend though with beach weather possible on both Saturday and Sunday.
The sun breaks through clouds above Sydney after the storm on Thursday. It moved south and intensified as it headed towards the Illawarra
WIN stadium at Wollongong was carpeted with hail before kick-off in the A-League Women’s match between Wellington and Adelaide
Brisbane is likely to see a warm if partly cloudy weekend with the odd shower.
In the west, Perth continues to face scorching temperatures, in the high-30s through the weekend, in the mid-30s after that, then climbing again in the middle of the week.
A fire warning has been issued for north-west WA, including Coastal Central West, Gascoyne and Inland Central West and the Pilbara.
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