An impressive multi-lightning strike was captured on camera as a line of storms rolled in on the West Coast last night.
Avid weather photographer Trudy Wills said she has seen the phenomena many times but never managed to capture it on video before.
The Runanga resident, located just north of Greymouth, said she spotted a line of storms on the way up the coast and grabbed her trusty iPhone 11 to see if she could record anything of note.
"I was awake waiting for the thunderstorms to come in, I drove out to Taylorville Rd and pulled up on a ridge overlooking the river," she told 1News.
Wills set herself up and hit record on her camera's video function. At 11.18pm she was rewarded with a spectacular shot of multiple lightning strikes hitting in the distance at once.
"I have seen it quite a few times in the past in this area, but never managed to capture it on film."
Wills said she didn't use any video filters and wasn't recording in timelapse, or with an altered shutter function.
In her video the sky lights up for a split second with at least nine lightning bolts seen reaching the ground. A loud peal of thunder then booms after the impressive sight.
MetService forecaster Gerard Bellam watched the video and confirmed its legitimacy to 1News.
"It ties in with the passage of an active cold front, with embedded thunderstorms, crossing the area at the time," he said.
"The West Coast of Te Waipounamu sees lightning often, as fronts like this one."
Wills posted the footage to the NZ Stormchasers Group on Facebook, which she has been a member of for around two years, where it quickly drew praise from other keen weather watchers.
"That is one of the best I've seen, grats on capturing it," one of the members commented.
"What was the thunder like on that strike? That's incredible," another person replied to the video.
It comes as a winter blast has seen snow dumps down to 200 metres in the South Island today, with strong winds causing transport issues right around the country.
Snow falling to low levels has left communities in the lower South Island blanketed in white. (Source: 1News)
Afternoon and evening Cook Strait ferry crossings have been cancelled by Interislander and Bluebridge.
"With the bad weather forecast to continue, sailings are expected to run late tomorrow," general manager of Interislander operations Duncan Roy said.
"At this stage Kaitaki will sail as a freight only vessel and Aratere will carry passengers. However we are monitoring the weather regularly and the situation may change."
Waka Kotahi also warned motorists driving up the Kaikōura coast, with waves up to 4m in height predicted this evening.
"For everyone's safety, if necessary, crews will pause traffic during the high tide at Ōhau Pt, north of Kaikōura, but only if the waves are overtopping the highway during this time," Waka Kotahi Cantebury's system manager Andrew Crofts said.
The high tide is at 5pm tonight, 5.30am tomorrow morning and 6pm tomorrow evening.
"We encourage travellers to build extra time into their schedules for these evening and early morning tidal peaks," he said.
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