Lightning hits home, bolt kills cattle beast

UNLUCKY STRIKE: Lightning hit this part of Kim Hollis' home at Whau Valley. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

There was a sting in the tail of a thunder and lightning storm for one cattle beast in Whangarei which was struck by lightning and died this week, while a Whau Valley home was also hit by a lightning bolt.

Farmer and real estate agent Peter Vink says one of his cattle beasts was hit by lightning while standing beneath an oak tree near some concrete strainer posts with metal rods running through them.

The storm passed through Whangarei and over the rural property owned by his 92-year-old mother, off Three Mile Bush Rd on Wednesday morning. But it was only on Thursday that he discovered the dead bovine.

Mr Vink, who owns some stock in partnership with a mate, said the metal rods in the concrete posts may have conducted the lightning because a chip had been blasted off one of the posts.

The 18-month-old angus-hereford cross was standing nearby and became collateral damage.

The steer was one of 11 in a paddock and was the biggest, Mr Vink said.

"This one was destined for the freezer come the summer.

"We had it all lined up for the BBQ."

Mr Vink said it was not the first time the oak tree had been hit by lightning and a dying branch was evidence of a previous strike about two years ago. This week the lightning had blown all the lights in the homestead and had cooked the telephones.

"We had to go and buy some new ones." The steer was going to be buried on the farm.

Lightning also burned part of the weatherboard of Kim Hollis' home at Whau Valley and caused a server failure at BP Riverside.

Ms Hollis said she heard an almighty crack and a strange noise about 11am on Wednesday as she prepared to go downstairs.

When rain stopped, she went outside and saw a charred mark out the back the house.

"I first thought 'gosh how did that happen' then realised what had happened. I was quite amazed," she said.

"Thank goodness it was pouring with rain or I would have had a good fire on my hands. If it can do this in the pouring rain, just imagine what it would do if it wasn't."

BP Riverside cannot accept prepayments until Monday because a lightning strike took out some of its accounting systems.

The pumps are working fine, though.

Northland bore the brunt of nearly 8000 lightning strikes that hit the upper North Island on Wednesday.