Large hail and deafening thunder are pounding Auckland and causing flooding in the Waikato on election day, as a severe thunderstorm watch stretches across most of the North Island and large parts of the upper South Island.
Photos shared on social media showed large hailstones after severe thunderstorms rolled across Auckland on Saturday afternoon, with torrential rain and spectacular lightning sweeping over the city.
The storms have also delayed the A-League derby between Auckland FC and the Wellington Phoenix at Go Media Stadium in Penrose, because of lightning in the area.
MetService issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Rodney and Albany at 4.33pm. Its radar had picked up severe thunderstorms near Warkworth, Wellsford, Kaipara Flats and Ahuroa at 4.22pm.
The forecaster said the storms were moving southeast. It expected them near Warkworth, Orewa, Puhoi and Matakana by 4.52pm, and near Orewa and Whangaparāoa by 5.22pm.
“These thunderstorms are expected to be accompanied by torrential rain and large hail,” it said.
“Large hail can cause significant damage to crops, orchards, vines, glasshouses and vehicles, and make driving conditions hazardous.”
A severe thunderstorm watch is in place until 6pm for Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Taupō, Taranaki and Taihape.
A second watch covers Whanganui, Manawatū, Tararua, Kāpiti-Horowhenua, Wairarapa and Wellington from midday to 6pm. Marlborough, Nelson, Buller and Canterbury High Country are under a watch from 1pm to 6pm.
“Severe thunderstorms will produce localised downpours with rainfall rates of 25 to 40mm per hour,” MetService said.
It warned that rain that heavy could cause surface and flash flooding, especially around streams, rivers and narrow valleys, and could also cause slips.
The National Emergency Management Agency advised people to shelter indoors away from windows as storms approached. People caught outside should avoid sheltering under trees and should get back to land if they were on the water.
It also advised people to move cars under cover, secure loose objects and check that drains and gutters were clear. After the storms, people should watch for fallen trees and power lines and stay away from streams and drains, which could flood.
MetService meteorologist Samkelo Magwala told 1News earlier on Saturday that less rain had fallen overnight than forecast, but some hourly totals were “significant”.
“In terms of total accumulation, we didn’t get as much, but in terms of hourly accumulation, we got some significant rain especially from last evening and overnight,” he said.
He said parts of the central and upper North Island recorded 20mm to 33mm in one hour around 5am. About 1845 lightning strikes hit the North Island overnight.
On Friday, severe thunderstorms battered Auckland as a humid airmass lingered over the country. They caused power and internet outages, minor flooding and dozens of weather-related callouts.
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