High Based Lightning Storms Illawarra NSW 23 Feb 2024

Initially I was filming the severe storms impacting Nowra & Berry, later making my way north towards Wollongong as storms developed there. Many storms did not have any visible Cloud to Ground lightning, but there was 10 minutes where the bolts were frequent just off Windang - Shellharbour (later in the afternoon, maybe 6-630pm). Unfortunately I filmed the best bolt I saw all day out of focus - I mustn't have checked after adjusting zoom or something like that.
The bird making the noises would be a Lyrebird, they are great mimics and you can hear it copying a Kookaburra amongst other noises.

[@EastPilbaraWeather]

Nice perspective down into the valley. 👍

[@stormsandfishing5448]

5-600 metres above sea level. I was hoping for some 3D bolts obviously but not to be. Trees are threatening to overgrow that view too, needs a trim.

[@trevormurray496]

Hi Andrew, some impressive stuff there. We were walking home after watching cricket from NZ at club when it struck here. Not a well timed walk/run through heavy rain with lots of preceding lightning activity😔.

[@stormsandfishing5448]

I know the feeling - get soaked or risk holding an umbrella up.... I'd rather get rained on, I only use an umbrella to protect a camera.

[@trevormurray496]

@@stormsandfishing5448Hi again Andrew, yes where we had tp walk is a high point. A tree that is no longer there was split vertically by a strike a few years ago.

[@WesternSydneyThunderstorms]

Could have been much better yesterday for storms, at least you got something in Illawarra! A few large drops for a moment but otherwise nothing in west syd yesterday

[@stormsandfishing5448]

The GFS model did show most of the precipitation around Nowra, but the EC model and the BOM definitely thought Sydney was in the firing line too.

[@ozthunder]

Another case of "I should have stayed on the coast". Well done with 2kms of my home

[@stormsandfishing5448]

Thanks mate, anywhere in the Nowra-Wollongong-Bowral triangle was a reasonable target, and it just comes down to luck after that. I saw several other storms without visible bolts.

[@dxer22000]

Cooma missed much of the storm activity

[@stormsandfishing5448]

Cool change probably went through too early

[@samuelsstormplace489]

Not much lighting for me but loud thunders though.

[@stormsandfishing5448]

Maybe next time

[@michaelkeene3051]

Nice work mate, it was tough going on those Wollongong storms, but you picked up a decent haul of bolts from that last storm which is good to see!

[@stormsandfishing5448]

It could just have easily been you if the bolts were on the other side of the storm. The rest of the afternoon I was seeing very few bolts from similar looking or stronger storms.