Tree on fire in Hastings after it was struck by lightning during a thunderstorm on Friday afternoon.
Video / Jesse Steffert
A severe thunderstorm has hit Hawke’s Bay, bringing some surface flooding to several communities already reeling in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle.
A MetService meteorologist said its sophisticated technology detected the “cells” about 2.15pm and a warning was issued, but it was all over in an hour, with rainfall of more than 20mm, surface flooding in the twin cities, and about 1000 lightning strikes, around 300 of them ground strikes and mainly focused on the Hastings area.
The igniting of a tree in Windsor Ave, Hastings, appeared to have been caused by lightning but by late afternoon, and despite the associated strong winds, there appeared to be no significant damage.
The storm came at the same time as school pick-ups and rattled residents rushed to pick up their children, or get to ground they felt was safer, causing large traffic jams.
There was torrential rain and in Napier people could hear loud thunderclaps as the black clouds formed over Hastings. Hawke’s Bay Today reporter Doug Laing said from Napier: “It’s sounding like a paint shop exploding in a fire.”
“This job was supposed to be done by now but obviously the cyclone changed priorities for council, who can blame them.”
MetService meteorologist John Law said at the storm’s peak between 2pm and 3pm the forecaster was recording 22 millimetres of rainfall in the space of two minutes.
But by 3.15pm the band had moved out to sea with the heaviest thunderstorms cleared. The rest of the afternoon would consist of light showers, he said.
Its brevity was highlighted by rainfall figures of 27mm at Chesterhope for the day up to 4pm, 25.5mm at a Farndon Rd recording station between Napier and Hastings, and 25mm at Hawke’s Bay Airport, all thought to have fallen just through the storm, driven increasingly by gusts from the southwest.
The MetService weather radar detected severe thunderstorms moving east near Sherenden at 2.07pm on Friday.
A tree was on fire on Windsor Ave in Hastings after it is believed to have been hit by lightning. Photo / Supplied
“These severe thunderstorms are moving towards the east, and are expected to lie near Napier, Hastings, Fernhill and Haumoana at 2.37pm and near offshore Hawke’s Bay and Cape Kidnappers at 3.07pm.”
“These thunderstorms are expected to be accompanied by very heavy rain.”
Torrential rain hitting Hastings CBD. Photo / Chris Hyde
MetService said the very heavy rain could cause surface and/or flash flooding about streams, gullies and urban areas, and make driving conditions extremely hazardous.
At 2.15pm it detected severe thunderstorms near Rissington, Sherenden, Napier, Hastings, Fernhill, Bridge Pa and Maraekakaho.
“These thunderstorms are expected to be accompanied by very heavy rain and damaging wind gusts.
