SA weather: Amazing pictures and videos capture tree exploding and lightning show
This ball of flames was once a tree – before it was hit by one of up to 300,000 lightning strikes that blasted SA overnight. See the amazing pictures and videos.
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A spectacular light show has been unleashed over South Australia as thunderstorms moved across the state and up 300,000 lightning strikes were recorded.
The strikes set off more than 140 fires, but all have been contained.
In West Croydon, lightning struck a tree, causing it to explode.
Edmond Claridge Bell, 22, snapped the amazing footage from his backyard veranda at about 9.20pm on Tuesday night.
“When it hit it was a fight or flight situation – the noise was overwhelming. It sounded like a gunshot but from all directions,” Mr Bell said.
“It was huge and I just cringed away thinking I’d better move – the next one will hit me.
It wasn’t until I looked back on the footage I saw it hit near the tree.”
“My heart was going full pelt for the next 20 or 30 minutes after it happened.”
The tree was about 20 metres from where Edmond was standing. He said he suspected the strike hit near the base of the tree and it looked like a small fire after it hit - but that was quickly put out by the rain. He said the tree was still standing this morning.
Around 7000 of people woke without power this morning, including 800 people in Evanston
South and Gawler, and 123 in Sedan near Cambrai. Other areas affected include Lenswood, Norton Summit, Woodville North, Chandlers Hill and Morphett Vale. By mid morning that number had dropped to under 5000.
Wind gusts up to 120km/h and hail was also brought in by the storms.
The Bureau of Meteorology's duty forecaster, Jenny Horvat said multiple storms moved through the metropolitan area overnight, which was “a little bit unusual”.
“Normally just one line moves through and then we’re done,” she said.
“But we had multiple lines move through, around that 8 o’clock time and then a couple of hours later and then again in the early hours of the morning.”
The source of the storm activity was a low pressure system south of the state. This produced “multiple little trough lines, where storms can develop’’, Ms Horvat said.
“It’s not unusual to get these types of storms at this time of year,” she said.
“I guess just to have so many, so close together in a short space of time, for the metropolitan area is a little bit unusual.”
The Australian GPATS (Global Position and Tracking Systems) network recorded in excess of 100,000 lightning strikes across the state.
Another lightning detection service, from Weatherzone, reported a higher number (300,000), which may include a higher proportion of cloud-to-cloud strikes, but the Bureau tends to prefer GPATS.
Adelaide is forecast to reach 26C today, but showers and a cool change will come in the afternoon.
More than 32,000 homes were without power at the storm’s peak at about 11pm on Tuesday night..
There were 11,441 homes without power at Clearview, Vale Park, Kilburn, Northfield, Broadview, Enfield, Prospect, Manningham, Gepps Cross, Hampstead Gardens, Greenacres, Blair Athol, Sefton Park, Klemzig, Port Adelaide, Lightsview and Northgate. SA Power networks estimated power would be restored by midnight.
About five thousand more were without electricity on the Yorke Peninsula, with scattered outages around much of the state.
Crews have done a great job working overnight to restore power amid our spectacular storm. High winds and more than 300,000 lightning strikes up to 4am have had widespread impact and caused a large number of outages with a peak of more than 32,000 without power.
— SA Power Networks (@SAPowerNetworks) November 10, 2020