Large hail can result in significant damage to crops, orchards, vines, glasshouses and vehicles, and also make driving extremely hazardous.
MetService is advising residents in the area to do the following:
- Take shelter, preferably indoors away from windows;
- Avoid sheltering under trees, if outside;
- Get back to land, if outdoors on the water;
- Move cars under cover or away from trees;
- Secure any loose objects around your property;
- Check that drains and gutters are clear;
- Be ready to slow down or stop, if driving.
- During and after the storm, you should also:
- Beware of fallen trees and power lines;
- Avoid streams and drains as you may be swept away in flash flooding
The warning is due to be updated or lifted by 8.07 pm today.
A highway has been forced to close after heavy rain hit the top of the South Island, causing the road to flood.
SH6 from Murchison to the Upper Buller Gorge is now under temporary speed reduction and traffic management.
As the front spirals off the side of the country, Shiviti said there might be some respite for a few days before another front moves over the country in the middle of the week.
Auckland rattled by thunderstorms
Thunderstorms struck Auckland earlier today, rattling workers and setting off car alarms.
Much of the country had been bracing for thunderstorms, with some areas in the firing line for hail and 100km/h wind gusts as well as a threat of floods.
One series of loud booms in central Auckland about 2pm had office workers ducking for cover.
Diners on Victoria St West saw the lightning and assured the Herald they heard the thunder, too.
“That has got to be the loudest crack of lightning and thunder I’ve ever heard,” one social media user said.
“That was terrifying,” another said.
“Sounded like a bomb went off in the CBD,” another social media user said.
Power was cut to a number of houses in Mt Eden.
Vector’s outage map showed buildings between Dominion Rd and Mt Eden Rd, between Grange and Bellevue roads, lost power at 2.06pm.
About 3 pm, Vector said the outage had been restored.
“We’re still investigating the exact cause,” a spokesperson told the Herald.
Forecaster Oscar Shiviti said a front moved across the Tasman Sea overnight, bringing a rain-maker expected to soak the upper North Island.
MetService had issued a heavy rain watch for Northland, Auckland, Aotea Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula until 8pm today.
Heavy rain watches were issued for the Bay of Plenty and Rotorua with a 24-hour watch for the Wairoa District beginning at 1am tomorrow.
Shiviti said the rain is likely to linger into tomorrow morning before easing off around midday.
Further south, 100km/h winds were expected in exposed areas of Wellington, along with thunderstorms and hail this evening.
A strong wind watch has been issued for the Kaikōura coast, Marlborough Sounds, Wellington and coastal Wairarapa for 10 hours from 5pm.
MetService said hail of up to 2cm in diameter was possible because of a cold front moving up the country throughout the day.
Flights affected by bad weather
diverted from Wellington after they attempted to land in bad weather.
An Air NZ spokeswoman said flight NZ686 from Dunedin to Wellington was diverted to Palmerston North.
Flight NZ421 from Auckland to Wellington was also diverted due to the weather and returned to Auckland.
”We’d like to thank customers onboard for their patience while we work to get them to their destination,” the spokeswoman said.
About 19 flights into and out of Queenstown were also affected.
Jetstar flight JQ193 from Gold Coast was also diverted to Christchurch this afternoon.
A Queenstown Airport spokesperson told the Herald they would try again to fly into Queenstown tonight.
Muggy, rainy summer forecast
Wet days and high temperatures could be a running theme for summer, according to Niwa’s seasonal climate outlook.
From around New Year, northeast “La Nina-like” conditions will bring more muggy, rainy weather to places such as Auckland and Coromandel.
“We’re looking at increased odds for rain events, possibly heavy ones, for the northern and eastern parts of the North Island — but also increased odds for dryness for areas like the west and southwest of the South Island,” Niwa forecaster Chris Brandolino said.
He added the muggy outlook for the northeast in late summer didn’t mean a repeat of the extreme La Nina summer of 2022-23; its unprecedented deluges proved the climax of a three-year run of the climate pattern.
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