A lightning strike near a tug boat seen from Newcastle Harbour on February 29. Picture by Ben West of Svitzer AustraliaA lightning strike seen from Newcastle Harbour on February 29. Picture by Ben West of Svitzer AustraliaA lightning strike near a tug boat seen from Newcastle Harbour on February 29. Picture by Ben West of Svitzer Australia
A lightning strike near a tug boat seen from Newcastle Harbour on February 29. Picture by Ben West of Svitzer AustraliaA severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Pictures by Marina Neil, Out and About PhotographyA severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilThe storm in the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Out and About PhotographyThe storm in the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Out and About PhotographyA severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilTaking shelter as a severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA last bit of summer fun as a severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA last bit of summer fun as a severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA last bit of summer fun as a severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA last bit of summer fun as a severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA last bit of summer fun as a severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA last bit of summer fun as a severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA last bit of summer fun as a severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA last bit of summer fun as a severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA last bit of summer fun as a severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA last bit of summer fun as a severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA last bit of summer fun as a severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA last bit of summer fun as a severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina NeilA severe electrical storm rolled into the Hunter on February 29. Picture by Marina Neil
DECKHANDS are no stranger to wrangling with wild weather, but even after decades on the job, Ben West has never gotten bored of watching storms from the water.
"It was just everywhere," he told the Newcastle Herald.
"The whole compass of directions."
Mr West's view of the storm front was so clear he could see the lightning striking in Stockton about 500 metres away from him.
At one point, he watched a bolt flash down just 20 or 30 metres from another nearby tug boat.
The lightning was relentless and rolling thunder was the show's soundtrack.
"It was rather close," Mr West said.
"You could see all the windows on the tug boat shaking when the thunder and the lightning hit."
His crew was transiting between jobs along the steelworks channel in the port at about 7.30pm when he captured incredible images of lightning strikes.
"It was the best lightning show I've seen for ages, definitely," he said.
Mr West has been working on the water for more than 20 years and said battling rough conditions was just another day on the job.
"So I've seen quite a lot of storms and bad weather in that time, but it's always exciting for sure, it doesn't get old," he said.
He said safety was a top priority at his workplace and jobs could be paused if the weather got too wild.
The massive electrical storm swept across the Hunter, captivating residents but wreaking havoc in its wake.
Hundreds were without power on Friday - some were expected to be in the dark for almost 24 hours - after trees and wires were brought down in strong winds.
A roof was ripped from a home at Lake Macquarie and State Emergency Service (SES) crews said Cooranbong was the hardest-hit suburb.
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