Experts question bird strike theory as cause of deadly Jeju Air flight and the annual road toll could be the lowest recorded in 10 years.
Short bursts of hail and heavy rain were being reported in Hawke’s Bay as a MetService severe thunderstorm watch remained in place late on Monday afternoon.
The greying skies in Napier were on cue with a MetService notice forecasting thunder and possible hail later on Monday afternoon. Photo / Doug Laing
A meteorologist confirmed the reports, although the extent was unclear with no reports of “large” hail stones, forecast as possible which also raised thepossibility.
There had been reports of debris on the road and a possible need for a closure of part of River Road, east of Waipawa, and hail at Te Pohue, on State Highway 5, between Napier and Taupō, before 3pm, and, accompanied by a downpour, on SH2 at Tutira.
The warning for thunderstorms, hail, and rain up to 50mm an hour, was for 1pm-9pm. A further warning of heavy rain was for the 30 hours to early evening on New Year’s Eve. The watch also applied to Wairarapa to the south and Gisborne to the north.
