A serpentine lightning strike has ‘‘blown the tits’’ off one man’s iconic tribute to Territory women. Literally.
Stonemasonry boss Tom Finlay, 48, was standing 50m from his voluptuous handcarved Venus de Milo when a flash of white light and an ‘‘ almighty kaboom’’ sent stone flying through the air.
Mr Finlay said he was amazed her 30kg breasts had survived the phenomenon.
‘‘There was a clap of thunder and the sculpture blew up like a rocket-launcher had hit it,’’ he said.
‘‘The lightning looked like a serpent.
‘‘Everything disintegrated but the breasts — all that’s left is what’s under her hips,’’ he added. rain yesterday. And storms in Central Australia dropped a much-needed 5mm at Big Dipper yesterday.
But the rain gave no relief from the heat in the Centre, with Alice Springs topping 42.7C, while Kintore and Yulara hit 45C.