Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Post-cyclone fronts spell unsettled week ahead as thunderstorm risk lingers

Imogene Bedford
Journalist·NZ Herald·
14 Apr, 2026 05:36 AM2 mins to read
‌

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
MetService weather update: April 14. Video / MetService

The threat of thunderstorms lingers post-Cyclone Vaianau as multiple low-pressure areas cross the country, bringing wet conditions and cooler temperatures.

MetService meteorologist Oscar Shiviti told the Herald while the tropical system has passed, its impacts remain and unsettled weather is set to continue through most of this week.

“We are now just seeing weather that’s behind the cyclone, which is a series of fronts moving through the country with southwesterlies persisting in most parts of the country.”

Cyclone Vaianu has moved on, but unsettled weather will continue to be commonplace across NZ for the next week or more.

In the coming days, multiple areas of low pressure will swing through the NZ region, leading to periods of rain, gusty westerly winds, and cool temperatures. pic.twitter.com/iGj1XVfSqv

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) April 13, 2026

Today, showers hit the South Island before spreading north to the top of the country, bringing a moderate risk of thunderstorms for some regions.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“The wetter half will be the western half of the country, similar to yesterday, but then those fronts will be moving across the country, so the rain will also spill into the eastern areas.”

Buller to the south, the Coromandel, and from Kāpiti to Auckland were most at risk of stormy conditions from this morning.

“In the afternoon, it will only be confined to the South Island, so all the western areas, including southern parts of Southland and Clutha.”

Afternoon Update🔔

Have you heard a rumble yet?⚡👂🤔

Thunderstorms⛈ observed in western and northern areas of the country; accompanying these thunderstorms are:
- Bursts of heavy rain💧
- Hail🧊
- Strong wind gusts🌬️

Don't get caught out. For the rain radar:… pic.twitter.com/yxqv7xaueG

— MetService NZ (@MetService) April 14, 2026

While there may be longer spells of sunshine and dry conditions to the east today and tomorrow, Shiviti said these will largely be short-lived.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

As the unsettled weather spreads, temperatures are expected to remain fairly chilly for the next few days after unusually high averages last week.

“Whatever temperatures they saw tomorrow, it won’t be too different to what they’ll see today and the following day,” Shiviti said.

Most areas won’t get past the high teens to early 20s today, with cool lows expected to remain over the weekend.

“By the end of the day on Friday, overnight temperatures will start climbing up, so I think places like Whakatāne and Taupō will be getting overnight temperatures of about 14 to 15C.”

The possibility of thundery conditions will be heightened over the weekend, with a “large and complex low-pressure system” set to cover most of the country by Sunday.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“The low-pressure system is expected to bring rain or showers to many parts of New Zealand, with thunderstorms also a possibility in northern and central areas of the country,” MetService warned.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Waikato Herald

Fish and chips farewell: Couple forced to sell 100-year family home for expressway route

23 Apr 03:00 AM
Waikato Herald

'Half a car tyre' deep: Morrinsville street swamped in sudden downpour

22 Apr 11:20 PM
Sport

Waitai to defend WBA Oceania belt against Ray in Auckland showdown

22 Apr 09:00 PM

Sponsored

Endangered bird gets another chance

21 Apr 02:30 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

Fish and chips farewell: Couple forced to sell 100-year family home for expressway route
Waikato Herald

Fish and chips farewell: Couple forced to sell 100-year family home for expressway route

Serena and Geoff Fletcher had just 10 days to leave after signing on Waitangi Day.

23 Apr 03:00 AM
'Half a car tyre' deep: Morrinsville street swamped in sudden downpour
Waikato Herald

'Half a car tyre' deep: Morrinsville street swamped in sudden downpour

22 Apr 11:20 PM
Waitai to defend WBA Oceania belt against Ray in Auckland showdown
Sport

Waitai to defend WBA Oceania belt against Ray in Auckland showdown

22 Apr 09:00 PM


Endangered bird gets another chance
Sponsored

Endangered bird gets another chance

21 Apr 02:30 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • NZME Digital Performance Marketing
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2026 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP