On 4 February 1998, a thunderstorm with approximately 16,000 lightning strikes struck Sydney and regional areas. In Sydney 40,000 homes were without power.

In regional areas there were several reports of severe wind gusts during the afternoon. The highest were: 106 km per hour at Dubbo, 104 km per hour at Coonamble, 83 km per hour at Orange and 76 km per hour at Armidale.

The Insurance Council of Australia estimated the 1998 damage at $12 million, with the 2017 estimated normalised cost of $44 million