Auckland house struck by lightning
4:32 PM Friday Jul 15, 2016


Damage to the bathroom floor of a house in Clevedon after it was struck by lightning. Photo / Supplied

A lightning strike to an Auckland house caused a power surge so strong, that a bathroom tile was blown off the floor and put a hole in the roof.

The Fire Service has had a number of reports of lightning reports south of Auckland this afternoon, as 147 strikes hit the country in the two hours to 4.45pm.

At 4.05pm crews were called to an address on McGregor Rd, Clevedon.

Home owner Richard Sumner said the strike was believed to have hit powerlines that sent a strong surge through their house.

"The power surge through the house has blown the underfloor heating and a tile was blown of the floor and hit the roof."

Sumner's family was home at the time and told him it sounded like a "gunshot", he said.

"There was a big crash when it happened, and then the bang when the tile hit the roof - like a gunshot apparently."

"There is no damage to the outside of the house but there is a hole in the roof the inside."

However, they were now without power and some pine trees had scars from the lightning.

The crews were still at the house at 5pm, using thermal imaging cameras to check for no risk of fire, said Fire Service spokesman Jaron Phillips.

Phillips said lightening had also caused a very small electrical fire at a house in Airport Rd, Whenuapai, trees down in Te Miro and power lines down in Ngaruawahia.

A Metservice spokeswoman said there has been "quite a few" lightning strikes around the country.

There was 147 strikes in the two hours to 4.45pm and wind gusts were reaching speeds of up to 117 km.

"The line of storms were strongest over west and south Auckland, and are weakening as they head towards north and east Auckland," she said.

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