Wellington pummelled as thunderstorms hit, with storm warnings in place for swathe of the North Island

Wellington is the latest to receive a pummelling, with heavy rain and thunderstorms sweeping through parts of the North Island.

MetService forecaster Aidan Pyselman said Porirua received 13mm of rain between 7pm and 8pm as electrical storms moved through the area. The airport recorded 13.8mm

The suburb of Kelburn also recorded 13mm, showing the downpour was consistent across the city.

From early afternoon, 10,000 lightning strikes had been recorded. Some of those would have been offshore, but many were over land – this was an unusually high number.

The weather was expected to have moved south from the city and out into the Cook Strait by 9pm.

Weather warnings had been in place for parts of Wellington, Manawatū, and Hawke’s Bay, sparked after severe thunderstorms were detected offshore, to the west of the country in the Tasman sea at about 6pm, but by 9pm heavy rain warnings only remained for Gisborne, and a heavy rain watch around Taupo.

Stormy Kapiti, taken just after 7pm.
CALUM RAWLINSON/SUPPLIED
Stormy Kapiti, taken just after 7pm.

There was a rain band over Northern Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne, expected to grow heavy from 9pm, with a warning in place through till Thursday. Areas of Gisborne received 29.5mm in the hour between 5pm and 6pm on Tuesday night.

Lightning strikes over Paekakariki during the Tuesday evening thunderstorm that swept across the greater Wellington region
MELANIE PHIPPS/STUFF
Lightning strikes over Paekakariki during the Tuesday evening thunderstorm that swept across the greater Wellington region

The Central North Island could expect rain and potentially thunderstorms on Wednesday, and as far north as Auckland might see lightning, thunder and heavy showers, too.

An electrical storm passes over the Remutaka Range on Tuesday evening.
BORIS JANCIC/STUFF
An electrical storm passes over the Remutaka Range on Tuesday evening.

In the South Island, Buller, on the far North-West corner of the island, had a heavy rain watch in place right through until tomorrow afternoon.

of rain.

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