THUNDER STRUCK LIGHTNING STORM LASHES CITY
LIGHTNING sparked fires at two Geelong properties during fierce storms yesterday.
Residents of Eucalypt Court were lucky to escape unscathed when lightning struck the roof of their home around midday.
Corio CFA senior station officer Anthony Heyfield said the lightning strike sparked an electrical fire that caused severe damage to the property’s roof and ceiling.
“The lightning hit the roof, smashed holes in the roof tiles and caused a small electrical fire in the wiring,” Mr Heyfield said.
“There is probably substantial damage to the electrical system and the fire caused a metre by metre hole in the roof.”
The occupants were not injured.
SES Geelong unit attended the scene to patch up damaged roof tiles with spares before more rain arrived.
Neighbour Matt van Baar said the occupants of the home were forced to vacate the property.
In a later band of severe thunderstorms, lightning struck an antenna at a house on Burdoo Court, Grovedale, which caused electrical damage and ignited a gas main.
CFA firefighters responded to reports the gas main had been struck by lightning and also set fire to a nearby fence.
Witness used social media to praise quick-thinking bystanders who responded to the emergency, including motorists who stopped to alert neighbours and a man who switched off the gas and helped contain the fire until CFA officers arrived.
Geelong recorded 3.6mm of rain from 9am to 6pm Tuesday, while Avalon Air- port recorded 5.6mm and a 65km/h maximum wind gust.
The storms followed a morning low temperature of 20.9C, the third-highest November minimum recorded in the city in 35 years.
The highest mark of 22.1C was recorded in 2017.
The weather bureau has forecast late showers for today and a top temperature of 21, before a chilly top of 16 for tomorrow, including the risk of hail and showers.