MetService Weather National: September 9th - 11th.
A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Great Barrier Island after the same storm saw hundreds of lightning strikes and hail the size of golf balls in Auckland and Northland.
The afternoon of wild weather saw seven lightning strikes a minute in the Auckland region at one point, and hail the size of golf balls in Whangārei.
MetService forecaster Paul Ngamanu said at 6pm there had been 400 strikes since 2pm.
Thunderstorms first hit Northland and northern Auckland, before making their way across greater Auckland.
Chris Dickeson said about 2pm their home in Whangārei Heads was pelted with hail, with some stones the size of golf balls.
"I've never seen that before up here. It was very loud, and punctured holes in our clear plastic roofing."
Massive hail that struck Whangārei Heads this afternoon. Photo / Supplied
According to Niwa, the Auckland region and offshore areas had been averaging nearly seven lightning strikes a minute between about 2pm and 3pm.
Hail struck Whangārei this afternoon as a band of thunderstorms struck the region. Photo / Supplied
Chris Dickeson said the massive hail that struck his Whangārei Heads home this afternoon punctured holes in their clear plastic roofing. Photo / Supplied
Large hail stones in Whangārei Heads. Photo / Supplied
But forecaster WeatherWatch said just after 3pm that those thunderstorms over Auckland had now been torn apart by a brisk northeast flow through the city.
There would still be more downpours between Whangārei and Auckland this afternoon as the system tracked south. They are expected to be accompanied by isolated thunder.
"More thunderstorms may pop up here and there, along with heavy downpours, in Northland and Auckland for the rest of today."
Heavy downpours in #Northland are growing and one area is tracking into northern #Auckland with #thunderstorms right now. Some downpours may be heavy enough to cause surface flooding. Drive with care. cc: @NZTAAkl @Vectorltd
Now MetService has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Great Barrier Island and Mokohinau Islands.
These thunderstorms were expected to be accompanied by very heavy rain and large hail, that could cause surface and/or flash flooding about streams, gullies and urban areas, and make driving conditions extremely hazardous.
MetService advised people to stay indoors during the thunderstorm period and return to land if out on the water.
Large hail can cause significant damage to crops, orchards, vines, glasshouses and vehicles, and make driving conditions hazardous.
MetService earlier warned a line of thunderstorms currently north of Auckland are expected to affect the city in the next few hours and could cause chaos on the roads during the after-school commute.
Keep an eye on the latest rain radar at http://bit.ly/AucklandRadar and be prepared for potential small hail, lightning and surface flooding in brief heavy rain.
The heaviest falls are expected about Coromandel Peninsula and Bay of Plenty west of Te Puke from this afternoon to Tuesday evening, and a heavy rain watch is in force for these regions.
MetService has issued a severe weather warning for the Coromandel from 4pm this afternoon to 11am tomorrow, with 80-110mm of expected to accumulate during this period.
Thunderstorms and heavy rain are expected to drench Auckland for the rest of the day. Photo / File
Thames Coromandel District Council civil defence controller Garry Towler is warning residents to be prepared and monitor the weather closely in the next 24 hours.
"Make sure you are organised, check NZTA's website before you travel and take care on our roads as this may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly, therefore surface flooding and slips are possible and driving conditions may be hazardous."
Rotorua and Whakatāne can expect periods of heavy rain today and tomorrow easing to a few showers.
This morning there is a moderate risk of thunderstorms from Northland to Waikato, with a low risk extending to north Taranaki, Taumarunui and western Bay of Plenty.
Thunderstorms are likely to be accompanied by heavy rain of up to 15mm per hour and small hail.
For the remainder of the country it's expected the cool temperatures will persist, with mostly cloudy skies and isolated light showers in the east, while western places should remain mainly fine.
