Video: Massive lightning storm rolls through Sydney
Sydney was hit by a dramatic lightning storm earlier today, causing widespread disruption.
Looking like something from Independence Day, a massive shelf cloud rolled in to the city's Central Business District in one hulking shape.
[comment] [/comment]
Shelf clouds are a type of arcus cloud, formed at the front edge of thunderstorms. The storm lying behind this one in Sydney created the opportunity for some dramatic images of lightning strikes.
Just captured this ground strike out my window a few moments ago. Awesome! #LightningStrikes #Wollongong pic.twitter.com/slPUvV7yDj
— David Finlay (@ClearSkiesTV) March 5, 2014
Local media report that the weather forecast was for some scattered showers, but nothing to the extent of the storms, which appeared suddenly, with more than 2cm of rain in less than half an hour in some areas.
The southern suburbs of the city were hit by flash flooding, and several flights had to be diverted from the airport.
#Qantas plane flies through storm at Sydney airport (yes my cheese meter is in the red) pic.twitter.com/K90SVkqokL
— Janie Barrett (@janie_barrett) March 5, 2014
Ok, that's a storm alright. #sydneystorm pic.twitter.com/9a7XAVZ9Sd
— Sydney Festival (@sydney_festival) March 5, 2014
The storm front dissipated shortly after its arrival, but the possibility of further storms overnight remains.
