Residents of the Metro and Avalon may be feeling the effects of an unexpected early morning wake-up today, courtesy of mother nature.

At approximately 12:30 a.m., intense thunder and lightning storms rolled in across the city, lasting until around 3 a.m.

Many people expressed their amazement on Twitter, causing #nlwx to trend in Canada.

And the dark night sky is illuminated bright blue! #nlwx @VOCMNEWS pic.twitter.com/lW9bNu20ds

— Richard Duggan (@RDugganVOCM) December 30, 2020

This is the second thunderstorm in December to hit the city. Meteorologist Veronica Sullivan with the Gander Weather Office says this is not a common occurrence.

She says it’s very rare and took them by surprise, however, it’s even rarer as it is the second time this month.

Sullivan says the intensity of the storm was caused by warm, moist air being pushed over the province from the south, combining with colder air that was sitting on top of the island.