A south Auckland home was damaged by fire after it was struck by lightning bolt during yesterday's violent thunderstorms.
Papakura Fire Brigade station officer Phil Beech said a Hunua house was set alight when a powerful bolt made a direct hit on the rural property's roof around 3.30pm.
At the time parts of southern Auckland were being pummelled by a series of fierce thunderstorms that lashed parts of the city throughout the day and brought large hail to western suburbs.
Beech said the bolt ignited building paper underneath the home's tin roof.
A person was sleeping inside the Ponga Rd property during the fierce storm but managed to escape unscathed.
