Lightning strikes Byron Bay house causing power outage

Did you hear or see the hailstorm in Byron Bay last night? A local artist’s home was struck by lightning during the storm.

Artist Norvel Watson’s house was struck by lightning during a ferocious hailstorm on Tuesday, July 12.

Author of Shaped By Water, Peter PK Kirkouse was staying at Mr Watson’s house when the hailstorm began.

“It sounded like lightning hit the house or the power pole because we lost power and went outside to discover three or four inches of ice on the driveway,” he said.

“It was like being in the snow fields.”

Indeed, it almost felt like Christmas in July as Byron Bay locals and tourists stared out their windows at the children donning their beanies and scarfs playing in the hail.

Was last night’s hailstorm normal?

Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist, Helen Reid, told the Byron Shire News that this was an unusual occurrence.

“I wouldn’t say that it was normal for Byron Bay that far North,” she said.

However, she said that this storm is “not problematic”.

Byron Bay was hit with a hailstorm in July. Picture: Jordan Stotter

Why did this hailstorm occur?

Ms Reid said this weather event is more likely to happen in Victoria and it occurred because the air was so cold, which meant that hail could actually reach the ground at Byron Bay.

You had about 30mm of rain yesterday so that provides a nice capacity for a white blanket to form, especially if that rainfall is frozen as ice and hail,” she said.

Will it happen again?

Ms Reid encourages people to enjoy the excitement of having an out of the ordinary sight and that there is still a potential for some thunderstorms through Byron Bay.

“It’s not going to be an issue tomorrow, but you could still see another little bit of white dusting but it’s less likely,” she said.