Freak Thunder And Lightning Spectacular Stampedes Thru New Zealand

Spectacular lightning storm hits Taranaki
07 December 2005
By VIRGINIA WINDER

New Plymouth woman Enid Gush watched in fear as a fireball flashed past her window during a major electrical storm yesterday morning.


The thunder-and-lightning storm, which cracked and rumbled across Taranaki just after 9.30am, left a trail of power cuts to about 3200 consumers and some extremely frightened people.

Mrs Gush said the fireball was like a great flash at the window of her David St house.

"I might´ve been able to put my arms around it," she said, describing the size.

"It was just so incredible and I was all shaky. The power went out and I couldn´t even make myself a coffee," she said.

At the same time, her sister, Joan Wedding in Tukapa St, saw about five flame-coloured lines snaking down her shared driveway.

"It didn´t do any damage around here, but it was just `wow´. It was like a Christmas string of fire . . . boy it was beautiful," Mrs Wedding said.

MetService market manager Peter Fisher, of Wellington, said phenomena such as the women experienced had been documented before.

"It´s extremely rare and rarely captured (on film). It´s poorly understood," he said.

Mr Fisher said the fireball was possibly caused by a lightning strike right outside Mrs Gush´s window.

The storm was a major weather event, with 385 cloud-to-ground or to-sea strikes yesterday morning, Mr Fisher said.

And for every one of those strikes, there were 10 more that didn´t make it to ground or sea.

AdvertisementAdvertisement"So every 10 thunderclaps that you hear, only one of those, on average, will have come to ground.

"So, in theory, you´ve got over the Taranaki area approaching 4000 thunderclaps," Mr Fisher said. "You did get a nice little awakening this morning."

The New Zealand lightning detection network recorded 16,065 lightning strikes around the country and surrounding waters.

In Taranaki, power supply to areas in and around New Plymouth, Midhirst, Ratapiko, Tarata, Tariki, Cardiff, Douglas, Eltham, Kaponga, Stratford, Toko, and Whangamomona was interrupted by lightning strikes on the networks of Powerco and Transpower.

Meteorological Service weather ambassador Bob McDavitt, of Auckland, said the storm was caused by a trough, or area of low pressure, rolling in from the coast.

"The Tasman Sea is a breeding ground for troughs at this stage and will be for the rest of the week," he said.