A LIGHTNING strike is said to have caused a power pole fire and taken out electricity supplies in parts of New Norfolk during this afternoon’s thunderstorm.
The New Norfolk Fire Brigade responded to the pole fire at about 6pm, and it has also been kept busy with alarm calls caused by the downpour. Several town centre businesses closed due to flooding.
TasNetworks reports that about 30,000 customers across southern Tasmania lost power during the storm and its own website was temporarily disrupted. At 7pm the following outages remained:
- 663 customers at Bothwell, Ellendale, Hamilton, Hollow Tree, Meadowbank, Osterley, Ouse, Strickland, Victoria Valley
- 556 customers at New Norfolk
- 324 customers at Granton, Molesworth, Sorell Creek, Bridgewater, Claremont
- 318 customers at Collinsvale, Glenlusk, Malbina, Molesworth
- 80 customers at New Norfolk
- 556 customers at New Norfolk
- 51 customers at Glenlusk
Check for power supply updates at tasnetworks.com.au
The severe thunderstorm warning was cancelled by the Bureau of Meteorology around 6.30pm. A second downpour occurred over New Norfolk at 7.15pm and then another half an hour later.
