A Napier cyclist was the only casualty of yesterday afternoon's flash lightning and thunderstorm that briefly flooded streets and popped manholes across the region.
The cyclist, in his 30s, suffered a badly broken leg after being hit by a car about 5pm.
Napier Police constable Mark Brinsdon said the extreme weather had caused poor visibility and greasy roads and was a contributing factor to the accident.
Last night the man was listed in a stable condition in Hawke's Bay Hospital.
Metservice's severe weather forecaster Erick Brenstrum said the thunder and lightning the region endured was a "local product" but that Manawatu, Wanganui, Taranaki and Bay of Plenty had also experienced a brief thunderstorm.