Lightning hitting close to an Emirates A-380 plane at Christchurch Airport as wild weather hit New Zealand yesterday afternoon. Airport worker Daniel Currie posted a video of the near-miss on Facebook with the caption: "The view out our window onto the tarmac today! The Emirates plane waiting for the storm to pass." A severe thunderstorm warning was issued by the weatherman for several areas, including Christchurch - the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand. Storms, said the country's national meteorological service, are expected to be accompanied by hail, strong gusts of wind, and even tornadoes. Local media said that more than 1,500 lightning strikes hit the South Island over a course of a six-hour period yesterday, with reports emerging of hail the size of golf balls causing damage to roofs and windows.