The Blue Spur weather facility was directly hit by a massive 156,000-amp lightning strike last Thursday.
Metservice’s technical team completed an initial assessment yesterday.
"And the news is not great," a spokeswoman said.
"The radar has sustained significant damage, and repairs will be complex. We now expect the radar to remain offline for an extended period."
The 156,000-amp strike that hit the area was 8.2 times more powerful than a typical bolt.
"That’s enough energy to power an average home for over two years.
A lightning strike can heat the air it passes through to about 30,000°C, which is five times hotter than the surface of the sun, unleashing a blinding flash, deafening thunder and a shockwave strong enough to destroy the radar housing.
"Moisture in nearby structures likely vaporised instantly, leading to explosive damage.
"Needless to say, this kind of strike can fry electronics and overwhelm even robust grounding systems, and our radar took the full hit."
Metservice said while the radar was down, its meteorologists were actively monitoring weather using satellite imagery, neighbouring radar sites, weather stations and high-resolution computer models.
"We know how important this radar is to the West Coast and surrounding communities, and we’re committed to restoring it as soon as we can.
"In the meantime, we will continue providing accurate forecasts and timely severe weather warnings." — Hokitika Guardian
By Janna Sherman
