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5.35pm
Thanks for following our updates on the developing storm across NZ today. That concludes our updates coverage. We will continue to cover the storm in news stories tonight and throughout the weekend. Thanks.
5.26pm
The wild weather in Auckland has been concentrated on the North Shore, with high winds
felling a tree over a driveway and trapping residents in their home in the suburb of Bayswater and high winds lifting roofing in Takapuna.
At Shelly Beach, north of Helensville, trees and powerlines were brought down and set a patch of grass alight.
In the Waikato, the fire service is currently at a house in Te Kuiti which is being lent on by trees.
5.11pm
The storm has now hit Taranaki, with the fire service dealing with flooding in Opunake and high winds in New Plymouth lifting a roof from a house.
4.58pm
MetService is warning of severe thunderstorms, very strong wind gusts and possible tornadoes in Taranaki late this afternoon.
Very strong wind gusts can break branches from trees, damage roofing, and make driving hazardous especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles, warns MetService.
Tornadoes can blow out windows, lift roofs, break large branches off trees, generate dangerous flying debris and blow vehicles off the road.
4.05pm
Environment Canterbury is confident the Waimakariri and stopbanks, vulnerable following the quake, will survive the increased rainfall expected this weekend. Engineers believe the stopbanks can cope with river flows of up to 2,500 cumecs, which equates to a one in 15-year flow event and is certainly not expected over the course of the weekend.
South Island police and fire service communications spokesperson said neither emergency has been called out as a result of the storm.
3.58pm
Reports indicate Canterbury is being spared the battering much of the country is receiving, giving some reprieve for the quake damaged region.
Peter Cameron, the regional coordinator for the Ministry of Defence and Emergency Management, said although Canterbury will not get the worst of the storm, the wind and the rain will hamper the clean up following the quake.
"It will certainly slow down reconstruction and demolition," he said. "If the wind picks up it could move roof tiles that have been loosened. People are at the moment checking the tiles on their roofs."
Mr Cameron said people were vigilant following the earthquake.
"The good thing is people are really aware of what is going on. There is a heightened interest in being prepared."
He said the weather in the city was "pretty calm" at the moment.
"It is a pretty typical nor-westerly day."
3.00pm
Fullers says "We are not expecting ferry cancellations or delays at this stage, but some trips may take longer due to bad weather which is forecast for Auckland today."
2.58pm
Maritime New Zealand does not have any specific warnings for boaties going out on to the water this weekend, but is urging people to be careful, check weather warnings, and to listen to the marine radio frequency.
2.57pm
State Highway 94, which runs frm Te Anau to Milford Sound, is closed from Lower Hollyford To Milford Sound until further notice as a result of snow fall.
2.55pm
Lightning storms in the Wellington region cut power to more than 3500 homes earlier today.
Ryan Auger, spokesman for Wellington Electricity, said four feeders had been struck by lightning late this morning, two at the Naenae substation and two at Wainuiomata.
Around 2000 Naenae homes were without power as a result and around 1600 in Wainuiomata.
Service crews secured the stations and began repairs, restoring power to most customers at around 12.45pm, said Mr Auger. "But still about 500 customers in Naenae have no supply. We expect the majority of the customers to be back on by late this afternoon."
2.03pm
On Facebook and Twitter, users are reporting bad weather from the bottom of the South Island to the Auckland region.
Trudy Smith in Gore, Southland, said it was "blowing like crazy down here with frequent hail showers rushing over at a great rate of knots" and on Twitter users in Wanaka said it was snowing.
From Masterton, Allyson Lock reported "thunder, rain and really strong wind" and at Piha, esoap tweeted that rain was falling up the cliffs.
1.51pm
The Mt Hutt ski field is closed due to bad weather. High winds have meant the lifts aren't able to operate.
The road is also closed due to poor visibility.
1.40pm:
WeatherWatch.co.nz head weather analyst Philip Duncan says the rare sight of weather warnings covering every main centre in New Zealand shows the true size of the weather system.
"When you have the main centre of the low over 1000km south of Stewart Island, or 2500kms south of Northland, but severe weather warnings covering most of the country, you get an idea of just how nasty this storm is," Mr Duncan said.
Mr Duncan said the low will remain well offshore but the severe weather mainly lies in a belt that will cover the entire nation.
A severe thunderstorm watch has also been issued for the entire west coast of the North Island plus Bay of Plenty and Marlborough.
Mr Duncan says that while Christchurch has a warning in place it is really for the Southern Alps, which may affect river levels around the Canterbury region, but fortunately for the quake-hit city itself.
1.26pm:
The massive storm bearing down on the country has hit the Wellington region, bringing thunder, lightning and heavy rain and winds.
Mike Wanoa, shift manager at the Fire Service's Wellington communications centre, said emergency services had been kept busy, with lightning setting a shed on fire in the Lower Hutt suburb of Avalon and high winds bringing down trees and power lines across the Hutt region.
Flooding was causing problems in the Wairarapa and Kapiti Coast regions, said Mr Wanoa.
