“That has got to be the loudest crack of lightning and thunder I’ve ever heard,” one social media user said.
“That was terrifying,” another said.
“Sounded like a bomb went off in the CBD,” another social media user said.
Power has been cut to swathes of houses in Mt Eden.
Vector’s outage map shows buildings between Dominion Rd and Mt Eden Rd, between Grange and Bellevue Rds, lost power at 2.06pm.
Forecaster Oscar Shiviti said a front moved across the Tasman Sea overnight, bringing a rain-maker expected to soak the upper North Island.
“For the most part, it’s going to be a pretty bad up there.”
Shiviti said thunderstorms were possible this morning before they turned into isolated showers in the afternoon.
He also said there was a risk of localised flooding.
MetService has issued a heavy rain watch for Northland, Auckland, Aotea Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula.
The watches extend for 11 hours of rain until 8pm, with thunderstorms and local downpours possible.
The forecaster warned there was a “high uncertainty” on where the heaviest rain would fall and there was a moderate chance the watch could be upgraded to a warning in some areas.
Heavy rain watches were issued for the Bay of Plenty and Rotorua with a 24-hour watch for the Wairoa District beginning at 1am tomorrow.
The upper North Island will be “muggy, warm and humid” today, with temperatures in the mid-20s for most places and Hawke’s Bay expected to reach up to 30C.
Shiviti said the rain is likely to linger into tomorrow morning before easing off around midday.
Further south, 100km/h winds are expected in exposed areas of Wellington, along with thunderstorms and hail this evening.
A strong wind watch has been issued for the Kaikōura coast, Marlborough Sounds, Wellington and coastal Wairarapa for 10 hours from 5pm.
MetService said hail of up to 2cm in diameter was possible because of a cold front moving up the country throughout the day.
There is also a moderate chance of thunderstorms in the Westland ranges, the Canterbury high country and North Canterbury this afternoon.
A highway has been forced to close after heavy rain hit the top of the South Island, causing the road to flood.
SH6 from Murchison to the Upper Buller Gorge is now under temporary speed reduction and traffic management.
As the front spirals off the side of the country, Shiviti said there might be some respite for a few days before another front moves over the country in the middle of the week.
Flights affected by bad weather
Two flights have been diverted from Wellington after attempting to land in bad weather.
An Air NZ spokeswoman said flight NZ686 from Dunedin to Wellington was diverted to Palmerston North.
The plane is refuelling before heading to Wellington again this afternoon.
Flight NZ421 from Auckland to Wellington was also diverted due to the weather and returned to Auckland.
”We’d like to thank customers onboard for their patience while we work to get them to their destination,” the spokeswoman said.
About 19 flights into and out of Queenstown have also been affected.
Ten flights into Queenstown have been delayed, while two flights have been cancelled, including Air New Zealand flight NZ617 and Jetstar flight JQ297 from Auckland.
Jetstar flight JQ193 from Gold Coast was also diverted to Christchurch this afternoon.
A Queenstown Airport spokesperson told the Herald they will try again to fly into Queenstown tonight.
Meanwhile, three flights out of Queenstown have been cancelled. This includes Jetstar flight JQ194 to Gold Coast, as well as Air NZ flight NZ620 to Auckland and another Jetstar flight JQ296, also to Auckland.
Three other flights out of Queenstown have been delayed, including one Jetstar flight to Sydney and two flights to Auckland.
The weather is expected to calm down into the evening, said the Queenstown Airport spokesperson.
Muggy, rainy summer forecast
Wet days and high temperatures could be a running theme for summer, according to Niwa’s seasonal climate outlook.
From around New Year, northeast “La Nina-like” conditions will bring more muggy, rainy weather to places such as Auckland and Coromandel.
“We’re looking at increased odds for rain events, possibly heavy ones, for the northern and eastern parts of the North Island – but also increased odds for dryness for areas like the west and southwest of the South Island,” Niwa forecaster Chris Brandolino said.
He added the muggy outlook for the northeast in late summer didn’t mean a repeat of the extreme La Nina summer of 2022-23; its unprecedented deluges proved the climax of a three-year run of the climate pattern.
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