None of the injured people were directly hit. File photo / Eugene Triguba / Unsplash
Five people have been treated by paramedics after a lightning strike in Australia's Hunter Valley region.
An Ambulance NSW spokesman said the bolt of lightning struck the ground close to five people in Pokolbin on Friday.
A witness reported that a 42-year-old woman was thrown backwards.
An 18-year-old man, a 19-year-old man, a 38-year-old man, a 42-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man were treated at the scene for minor injuries including shock.
One person was transported to hospital in a stable condition.
None of the people were directly hit.
Paramedics responded to a call reporting five people had been injured by lightning just after 12.30pm, with five crews responding to the incident.
Jiwon Park from the Bureau of Meteorology said the lightning was part of a storm that developed in the southern part of the Hunter Valley early in the afternoon.
He said storms were likely to continue into the evening in parts of NSW.
Park said residents should stay up to date with the latest information.
"Follow the advice from the SES and the BOM," he said.
"Stay away from trees and power cables and so on – use your common sense and stay away from risk areas.
"Keep yourself updated with your latest storm warnings, because they are regularly updated."
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