A second storm has started to pound the country. File photo / Stuart Munro
A second storm has started to pound the country. File photo / Stuart Munro
A second storm has started to pound the country with squally thunderstorms expected to strike much of New Zealand today.
The wild weather has started to hit the capital already with a rush hour train service between Taita and the city held up due to "adverse" weather conditions.
Motorists werealso warned to take care and drive to the conditions as the weather deteriorated.
Earlier MetService duty forecaster Derek Holland said the Westland and Nelson regions were starting the day with heavy rain and thunderstorms which would spread across the North Island later in the morning.
"There will be heavy rain and squally thunderstorms in many areas, including main centres and it's acompanied by strong winds," said Mr Holland.
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MetService has issued strong wind and severe thunderstorm watches ahead of today's storm spanning western regions from southern Auckland to central Westland.
Mr Holland said Auckland would see conditions deteriorate towards lunchtime with heavy rain and squally thunderstorms with strong northwesterly gales with gusts blowing more than 100kph.
He said the rain would ease to isolated showers during the afternoon with a change in wind direction.
"It's a similar story across the North Island. It just happens a bit earlier in the south," said Mr Holland.
In Wellington the rain was due to start mid-morning with squally thunderstorms hitting late morning, possibly just before midday.
