A woman is recovering in hospital after she was struck by lightning as large parts of South Australia were smashed by electrical storms overnight.
Around 47,000 lightning strikes ignited dozens of fires and triggered mass power outages across the state’s south-east yesterday evening.
A 35-year-old was hospitalised after being struck by lightning around 10pm (10.30pm AEDT) yesterday near Millicent, 50km from Mount Gambier.
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The woman was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, a spokesperson for SA Ambulance confirmed.
She was “breathing and conscious” after being hit by the lightning strike.
The electrical storms caused chaos across the south-east.
Crews were called to multiple grass fires after thousands of dry lightning strikes hit across Kalangadoo and Ngarkat Conservation Park yesterday evening.
Firefighters from SA Country Fire Service were still on the scene fighting blazes at 6am (6.30am AEDT) after struggling to contain the scrub fires through the night.
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Five trucks remain on the scene in Kalangadoo, 411km from Adelaide, following a haystack fire.
The out-of-control fire in Ngarkat Conservation Park has already razed more than 20,000 hectares and will likely burn for a number of days.
Six trucks remain on the scene in the park as the blaze continues to burn.
Heavy smoke can be seen from afar.
SA CFS said the fires were ignored after a “significant” number of dry lightning strikes sparked the dangerous fires.
Crews have responded to more than 100 incidents since 4pm yesterday, including trees and power lines brought down by lightning.
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The wild electric storms sparked more than 47,000 ground lightning strikes since 5pm yesterday, which caused power outages across the York Peninsula and the state’s south-east, SA Power Networks spokeswoman Megan Grey said.
There are still 10,908 homes without electricity across South Australia, according to SA Power Network’s map.
Grey said extra crews had been dispatched to address the mass outages, including crews from regional and metro areas.
The fires are not impacting power or restoration work.
Hundreds of homes in Yorke Peninsula towns including Ardossan, Arthurton, Clinton, Kainton and Price remain without power.
Mass power outages are also impacting homes in Penola, Coonawarra, Glenroy, Beachport, Boatswain Point, Bray, Clay Wells and Conmurra.
“Due to the large number of faults, power restoration is taking longer than normal,” SA Power Network told customers.
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