Flights resume, cleanup begins after 'dangerous' thunderstorm passes over Auckland

Residents and business owners are mopping up soggy homes and shop floors after last intense downpours pelted Auckland.

Thunderstorms, heavy rain and hail swept over the city at rush hour, flooding houses and leaving roads knee-deep in water.

Northern fire shift manager Paul Radden said crews answered 25 weather-related callouts tonight, mostly around Papakura.

"There were properties flooding, houses flooding, commercial properties and roofs leaking as well," Radden said.

Fire crews from Papakura, Manurewa, Clevedon and Otahuhu responded to the property callouts, and Auckland Council dealt with a number of flooded roads, Radden said.

Slips and flooding has blocked two roads, Maraetai Coast Rd and North Rd, which were blocked in several places, Auckland Transport said.

Due to slips & flooding Maraetai Coast Rd & North Rd are blocked in several places. Please take extra care & drive to the conditions. ^LC

— Auckland Transport (@AklTransport) July 6, 2017

Floodwaters entered a group of shops in Papakura's Selwyn Centre from two directions.

Water poured in from Great South Rd as well as the two-storey carpark behind the shops. One employee reported the water came up to her shins.

Elsewhere a waka ama group was found safe despite reports they had gone missing off Waiheke Island in the middle of the thunderstorm.

A person reported seeing four kayakers paddling in Huruhi Bay and called police at 5.30pm after not seeing the group return before the intense thunderstorm set in.

A boat that was anchored in the bay offered his services to look for the kayakers but could not see them.

Police determined the "kayakers" were actually a waka ama group, who were never in any distress.

A Coastguard spokeswoman said the group had most likely come ashore when lightning strikes began on the harbour, and the wind direction would also have pushed them toward the beach.

Ross Barnett from Kayak Waiheke in nearby Matiatia Bay said he had cancelled all kayak trips because of the weather.

The "dangerous" downpours then moved off to the southeast and on to the Coromandel Peninsula.

The severe thunderstorms moved from the west across to Papakura and Drury.

Weather at Northcote point. Photo / Geordie Lindsay-Russell

All planes were temporarily grounded at Auckland International Airport because of the bad weather, but have now resumed.

Airport spokeswoman Lisa Mulitalo said all planes had been grounded and were unable to refuel due to lightning strikes.

Six flights had also been diverted because they could not land, she said.

About 6pm the lighting warning was lifted at the airport and some flights resumed.

Passengers should contact their individual airlines for updates, Mulitalo said.

MetService meteorologist Brian Mercer said the airport had had up to 15.6mm of rain in one hour. A Mangere station had also measured 10.6mm over two hours.

Mercer said the thunderstorms are now moving east and weakening slightly.

Thunderstorms over #Auckland creating poor driving conditions this evening. Please slow down & increase your following distance ^TP pic.twitter.com/glEhpelBWA

— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) July 6, 2017