Severe thunderstorms wreak havoc in Australia

HURSTVILLE, Australia — Late summer thunderstorms have been wreaking havoc in eastern Australia this past week.

In the Sydney suburb of Hurstville, a severe thunderstorm Sunday brought heavy rains and “life-threatening” flash flooding to the area.

The rainfall was too much to bear for one supermarket’s roof, which collapsed in a torrent of water.

Video shared to Storyful by Rabih Elberjawi shows water pouring through the ceiling at an Aldi supermarket before the ceiling panels collapse and water floods the store’s aisles.

The thunderstorms prompted flood evacuation warnings for parts of Penrith and Lower Portland: 

A day later, severe thunderstorms struck the Gold Coast area of Queensland’s Burleigh Waters.

One massive lightning strike hit the water just yards from the Burleigh Beach shoreline, according to a video shot by Joanne Baker.

While there were no reports of injuries, the video is a stark illustration of the dangers lightning carries when thunderstorms strike the coast.

The bolt hit the water not far from where beachgoers may have been lounging on a nicer day, despite several taller structures nearby.

Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology says the storms also brought damaging winds and heavy rain that measured over 2 inches in just 30 minutes.

It’s part of a stretch of severe weather that has plagued Australia this summer. New South Wales has been dealing with historic flooding for over a week.