NSW thunderstorms: State hit by 300,000 lightning strikes in severe storm
NSW thunderstorms: State hit by 300,000 lightning strikes in severe storm
More than 300,000 lightning strikes hit New South Wales last night after severe thunderstorms roared through the state.

Sydney had upwards of 7000 lightning strikes while a deluge of rain saw the gauge at Sydney Airport record 19.2mm in 15 minutes.

SES NSW received 200 calls for help, with the strong storm bringing down trees and causing localised flooding.

Two people were rescued from floodwaters, the organisation said on Facebook.

A Rockdale resident miraculously filmed the moment a lightning strike hit his home, shattering a wall and sending bricks flying.


"I was playing with my new iPhone XS so I guess you could say I was in the right place as the right time," David Parks told 9news.com.au.

"No-one was hurt. The damage is pretty bad but nothing structurally unsafe.

"My cat was cowering behind a chest of drawers and it took a while to find him."

Organisers were forced to delay the start of the Invictus Games opening ceremony by more than an hour last night.

The latest storm cemented rainfall figures for some parts of Australia, says Weatherzone.

And more rain is on the way for Australia's east coast.

NSW lights up with 300,000 lightning strikes in severe storm
NSW lights up with 300,000 lightning strikes in severe storm
Some spots have already had double their average October rainfall, despite only being two thirds of the way through the month.

Some pockets of southern Western Australia, eastern NSW and northern Queensland have even picked up three to times their average October rainfall.

In WA's Goldfields, Kalgoorlie has already recorded 66mm of rain this month.

A Rockdale resident miraculously filmed the moment a lightning strike hit his home, shattering a wall and sending bricks flying.
A Rockdale resident miraculously filmed the moment a lightning strike hit his home, shattering a wall and sending bricks flying.
That's well above the 2.8mm they recorded during September and makes this their wettest month since early 2017.

Some early-season storms in northwest Queensland brought 59mm of rain to Burketown this week.

That's more than four times the October monthly and makes this the area's wettest October since the 1970's.

In NSW, Lismore's running monthly total of 225mm as of 9am on Friday makes this its wettest October in seven years. This is well above their long-term October average of 73mm.

Sydney received 21mm of rain between 6pm and this morning.

Across the state, Narrabri in the North West slopes topped the state with 32mm falling in the past 24 hours, Taree recorded almost 30mm.

Canterbury had 16mm, Bega receieved 25mm while Mudgee recorded 15mm, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

In Coonamble, 23mm of rainfall was recorded within a 21-minute period after 2pm - more than half the monthly average.

A 76-year-old man from the Sydney's south-west says the house shook when a tree fell into his home.

"I'm very lucky it fell the right way to a degree," Ray Markey told 9News.

"If it had have fell the other way it would've taken out the whole house."

Parts of Victoria also got their share of thunder and rain, with the town of Omeo receiving more than 5000 lightning strikes.

According to Weatherzone, over southeastern Australia, an estimate of over 300,000 lightning strikes were recorded to 8pm (AEDT).