Video captures moment lightning strikes tree at Sim Lim Tower carpark

A screengrab of the video delivery driver Fahrol Razi posted on Facebook, showing a lightning strike a tree at the carpark.

SINGAPORE - They say lightning never strikes twice, but it did in Singapore on Wednesday (Jan 18).

A rare video of lightning striking a tree at the Sim Lim Tower carpark was uploaded on Facebook by delivery driver Fahrol Razi on Wednesday.

The video has since been viewed more than 130,000 times.

Mr Fahrol told The Straits Times that the video shows only the second lightning strike in less than five minutes.

The first strike, at around 3.40pm, was "quite close", he said. Shortly after, the tree was struck.

There was a blast, a flash of light, and wood splinters scattered all over the carpark. Smoke emitted from the tree afterwards.

The 30-year-old was in his van when the two strikes occurred, and the clip was captured by the vehicle's rear in-car camera, he said.

Singapore has one of the highest rates of lightning strikes in the world.

This was captured in a stunning composite image of lightning activity by architecture and landscape photographer Darren Soh last May.

The image of the multiple lightning strikes over HDB flats in Sembawang went viral and was featured on international news sites like BBC and The Telegraph.

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