Fortnite storm
Image: Epic

Fortnite's latest update, 19.01, has just dropped and it's brought some seriously turbulent weather with it, adding dynamic thunderstorms, tornadoes and spectacular lightning that rolls in across the map on ominously dark clouds.

These all-new storms aren't just here to cause you trouble either, as they can be used as a clever means of escaping the heat of battle and getting the drop on your opponents. Getting sucked up into a twister or using a storm's energy to glide away from danger incurs no health penalties and even getting spat right out of a tornado that's lifted you high into the air causes zero fall damage, so feel free to get busy storm chasing and using these forces of nature to your advantage.

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Fortnite Flare Gun 1920x1080 74a3de2494d0
Image: Epic

Further to this, lightning strikes cause surprisingly little damage to your health bar and come with the bonus of giving you a temporary speed boost. You can only be struck by lightning once per storm but it's certainly worth trying to get yourself targeted by the wrath of Zeus, something Epic says you can increase the odds of by standing in water underneath a dark cloud or climbing to the highest point you can find in the vicinity of a storm.

We've jumped in for a couple of quick games and can confirm these new dynamic storms certainly add an air of menace to rounds of Epic's Battle Royale game and - alongside a new weapon in the form of a flare gun that can set fire to objects and enemies - makes for an altogether more dangerous feeling environment in the game, which is now rife with new opportunities to experiment with storm-based shenanigans.

[source epicgames.com]