A massive lightning strike has crippled a critical weather radar system in New Zealand. Last Thursday, a powerful 156,000-amp lightning bolt struck the weather radar installation near Hokitika, causing extensive damage and knocking the system offline. According to MetService, the national weather service, the lightning strike was approximately five times stronger than usual, generating an immense amount of heat and a significant shockwave. This extreme event resulted in the destruction of the radome, the protective spherical enclosure shielding the radar equipment.