Heavy hail in Wellington this morning. Photo / Dave Smart WeatherWatch.co.nz
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Police are warning motorists to be extra cautious on the roads as thunder, lightning and hail hit the southern part of the North Island.
MetService has issued severe weather watches for heavy rain cross western parts of both islands and snow in parts of Canterbury and Otago.
Inspector
Ken Climo of central police communications said heavy hail had caused difficulty for patrol cars attending a car accident in the Wellington suburb of Newtown, with the car's tyres unable to get a good grip on the road.
"Take great care this morning, it doesn't sound like it's going to be a very nice day for driving in to work at all."
A central fire communications spokesman said they had had several call-outs because of the heavy rain and lightning.
"We've been called to a few episodes of minor flooding in the southern suburbs of Wellington this morning and the lightning did cause a few alarms to activate," he said.
Weather Watch said there had been reports of heavy showers and thunderstorms in the Taranaki region.
Palmerston North police have urged motorists to drive with their lights on and watch their following distances in the bad weather.
Newstalk ZB reported that the there had also been surface flooding in Christchurch this morning.
Weather Watch's head weather analyst Philip Duncan said a low pressure system could bring a week of unsettled weather to most of the country.
"We're talking heavy rain for some western regions in both islands and possible heavy rain in eastern areas of the South Island, snow is also likely across the South Island to low levels in the east such as Canterbury,"he said.
Mr Duncan said strong winds, possibly severe gale force, wouldl surround the low but said it was too far out to know whether it would affect land.
- NZPA and NZHERALD STAFF
