Huge thunderstorm causes flooding chaos in North Island. Video / NZ Herald
Auckland has recorded one of its wettest hours on record this morning as a major thunder and lightning storm caused widespread flooding and chaos across Auckland and northern regions.
Several schools have closed, streets and motorways are awash with flooding across the Auckland region and there have been several reports of people trapped in cars.
Between 8am and 9am, Auckland's Albany weather station recorded its wettest hour - 76.88mm - on record, said Niwa. "This seems likely to become the wettest hour across the Auckland region on record, but we'll need to scour the record books!"
More than 4000 lightning strikes have been recorded in one hour - with 700 in just five minutes. Massive thunderclaps and lightning have filled Auckland skies since 7am.
Northland, Auckland and Coromandel are all in the line of fire - and Bay of Plenty has been under storm warning since 10am. Heavy rain warnings and watches are also in place for a swathe of the North Island from Auckland through Waikato to Taranaki, along with Tasman west of Motueka in the South Island.
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Emergency services have been inundated with reports of flooding as the storm strikes Auckland city, Waitakere, Kaipara, Whangarei Gulf and Albany. Earlier, similar wet weather caused havoc in Northland, with reports of flooding in Whangarei and other centres.
Northern Fire and Emergency shift manager Colin Underwood said most of Auckland, Orewa and Whangaparāoa were battling with flooding. He said they were swamped with calls for help.
Police confirmed they received a report of a partly submerged vehicle in Albany. The incident was off Rosedale Rd and at this stage a police spokesperson said there were no reports of people trapped.
Flooding at Orewa College this morning. The school has closed. Photo / Supplied
Orewa College and Red Beach School have been forced to closed due to surface flooding. In an email to parents, Orewa College said learning would continue online today. Children already at the school who were unable to be collected would be supervised they said.
At Westlake Boys' High School students are sitting tight in their classrooms this morning waiting for the rain to end with movement around the campus restricted due to flooding.
Principal David Ferguson said he'd never seen flooding like it in nearly 20 years at the school.
The forecaster says the electrical storm would hit the entire region - from Piha in the west, across the metropolitan area and northeast to the Hen and Chicken Islands and Warkworth.
Earlier - and overnight - torrential rain led to flooding across areas in Whangarei and surrounding areas with the bulk of it hitting near the Bay of Islands.
The MetService said the storm would be moving southeast, accompanied by torrential rain.
The severe weather reached Auckland before dawn, with residents urged to take shelter and prepare for the possibility of flash flooding.
A man takes his boat out to a flooded intersection in Hatfields Beach this morning. Image / Ngaire Burrell
Within a five-minute window, the city was lashed by over 700 lighting strikes according to Niwa. Between 7am and 8am more than 4000 strikes were recorded, it said.
MetService also issued a storm warning for people living in Kaipara, Whangarei, Rodney and Albany, Waitākere and Franklin.
In Puhoi, north of Auckland, a tree has fallen and blocked Ahuroa Rd in both directions. Police advise motorists that the road will be blocked for at least an hour.
At 6.30am, MetService detected a line of severe thunderstorms lying from Whakapara to Ruakaka to Tauhoa. It said the thunderstorms were moving towards the southeast, and were expected to lie from Hikurangi to Waipu to Ahuroa from 7am, and from Ngunguru to Waipu Cove to Orewa at 7.30am.
Heavy rain warnings and severe thunderstorm watches are also in place for all of Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula with the worst to hit later this morning. MetService has issued a heavy rain warning for Bay of Plenty, west of Ōpōtiki, from 10am Monday through to midnight.
Such storms bring torrential rain that can cause flash flooding and slips. People should take shelter indoors and away from trees when they approach, MetService says.
They should also be prepared to slow or stop driving.
— MetService Severe Weather Info (@MetServiceWARN) March 20, 2022
Heavy rain warnings and watches are also in place for a swathe of the North Island from Auckland through Waikato down to Taranaki, along with Tasman west of Motueka.
Auckland is also under a strong wind watch till 2pm. The worst of the rain is set to hit the city from 8am.
Strong northeasterly winds buffeted the city yesterday, combining with high tides to bring waves crashing over Tamaki Drive in the eastern bays.
The current weather system looks to dominate until the end of the working week, according to MetService.
It is due to a slow-moving low pressure system that lies to the west of the country, directing a strong, moist north-to-northeast flow across the country.
Take shelter, stop driving: Emergency advice in thunderstorms
MetService pointed people to advice from the National Emergency Management Agency, which said when storms approached they should take shelter indoors away from windows and avoid standing under trees.
They should get off the water, move cars under cover or away from trees, check drains and gutters were clear and be ready to slow or stop driving.
During and after the storm, you should also beware of fallen trees and power lines, it says.
"Avoid streams and drains as you may be swept away in flash flooding."
The line of thunderstorms was first spotted offshore as it approached the Bay of Islands just after 1am, and has been moving south through the small hours of the morning.
