A 40-year-old man is fighting for life after being struck by lightning alongside his family on the Gold Coast during this afternoon’s fierce storms.
He and his family were sheltering under a shed at a park near Worongary School, around 4pm.
The man pushed his 18-month-old son away before he collapsed after taking the full force of the strike.
His partner was cradling their 12-week-old baby.
All four family members have been transported to Gold Coast University Hospital
A nearby poll booth worker told The Gold Coast Bulletin the strike “just shattered the air” and was “beyond a bang”.
“I did not think anything of it initially but then emergency services showed up.”
Students taken to hospital after large thunder clap
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a warning for “very dangerous thunderstorms.”
Destructive winds, heavy rainfall and large hail storms are affecting areas including Logan, Ipswich, the Gold Coast and parts of Brisbane.
The Bureau has advised locals to move their cars away from cover or trees and seek shelter as the storms hit.
Thousands of homes have been affected by power outages.
