‘Huge bang’: Deadly lightning strike came out of nowhere, says neighbour

He said there had been as many as two storms a day lately around Old Razorback Road, where the lightning struck, but conditions did not appear to be as treacherous on Saturday.

“We’ve had a lot worse lately. We’ve had a lot of lightning,” he said.

“I had just walked back from across the road from my Nan’s with my kids … it kind of just came out of nowhere. People were still putting cars away.”

The two women were sitting outside at the time of the incident.

“Both [women] had been seated about six metres from a large tree, and this had been struck by a lightning bolt, which literally caused the tree to explode, sending debris all over the place,” NSW Ambulance Inspector David Kynaston said.

Kynaston described it as a freak incident and very confronting for the paramedics who attended.

He said young children had also witnessed it.

NSW Police said a report would be prepared for the coroner.

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