An airplane dodges huge lightning bolts as it attempts to land in this dramatic video.

Footage of Qantas flight 438 trying to land at Sydney Airport during a freak electrical storm shows the plane surrounded by forked lightning as it flies over the Australian city.

The jet is dwarfed by the enormous streaks of lighting cracking across the sky, which ultimately force the pilot to abort the landing and fly around again.

The pilot was reportedly unable to see the Precision Approach Path Indicator, which helps guide planes onto the runway.

The footage was filmed on Thursday, January 14.

Although it may look terrifying, lightning in fact poses little threat to modern aircraft.

However, the storms that ripped through Sydney on Thursday have caused huge damage on the ground, with winds of up to 122km an hour reported at the airport.

At least 1,500 homes and businesses were left without power in Camden, with a further 800 homes running on candlelight in Sydney, the Sydney Morning Herald reported .

And in Emu Plains, a man was killed and woman was taken to hospital in a critical condition after a tree blew over on their car.