Snow-like hail falls as thunderstorms move over Auckland and Northland

Monday, 11 November 2019

Wild weather saw heavy hail fall in Auckland's Orewa.

Christmas has come early for north Auckland with heavy hail falling and creating snow-like drifts.

A rain band moved over Auckland and Northland, bringing thunder and lightning on Monday following a night of wild weather where more than 66,000 lightning strikes were recorded around the country and the Tasman Sea.

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The hail fell in Auckland's Orewa around 2pm on Monday.

MetService said the band of rain with thunderstorms was drifting south on Monday evening.

The risk of lightning will continue into tomorrow for some parts of the country.

* 66,000 lightning strikes, thunderstorms lash the country**

A large amount of hail that looked like snow fell in Orewa in north Auckland around 2pm, with MetService forecaster Gerard Bellam saying it was a symptom of the active system.

Bellam said hail built up in the clouds and because it was a decent thunderstorm, the hail was heavier than usual.

Thousands of lightning strikes lit up the sky over Auckland as a massive band of heavy rain crossed the city on Sunday.

The storm also saw a lightning strike in north Auckland's Gulf Harbour cause a fire to break out in the roof of a home.

MetService meteorologist Tui McInnes confirmed there were thunderstorms in the Whangaparāoa area at the time the fire broke out.

He said a line of activity could be seen from Waiheke Island through to Whangaparāoa, bringing rain, thunder and lightning.

A Stuff reporter said full speed window wipers could not keep up with the rain while he was driving north from Auckland in the afternoon.

Main roads in Manly had serious flooding, with roadside crews working to unblock drains.

Lightning strikes could be seen from all around in the afternoon.

Fire and Emergency NZ shift manager Carren Larking said firefighters had alerted police to flooding outside New World on Whangaparāoa Rd in Stanmore Bay while on their way to Gulf Harbour fire.

They had yet to be called to any other flooding incidents as of 3pm, she said.

The risk of thunderstorms was expected to return on Tuesday, MetService said.

'During Tuesday morning another trough is expected to cross eastwards across the north of the North Island,' it said.

'There is an associated moderate risk of thunderstorms developing in the morning about Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula and Waikato, with a low risk for Northland, Waitomo and the western Bay of Plenty.

'These thunderstorms could be accompanied by heavy rain of 10 millimetre to 15mm per hour and small hail.'