File photo. Photo: 123RF
Active thunderstorms have moved over Auckland, bringing torrential rain, wind gusts, thunder, lightning and hail to parts of the city.
The thunderstorms hit about 8:50pm on Wednesday night and followed a day of wild weather on Tuesday where a state of local emergency was declared by mayor Wayne Brown.
MetService predicted the storms, giving Aucklanders about 20 minutes warning before they began.
Some thunderstorms heading towards Auckland within the next hour.
— MetService (@MetService) May 10, 2023
Latest Auckland radar here https://t.co/7k3nmeeZKF
Thunderstorm outlook here https://t.co/BZWb807s5l ^SG pic.twitter.com/MnzJo0PL5X
More than 120 lightning strikes had been reported, it said.
The majority hit the city since 8:45pm, and forecasters said more were expected into the night.
MetService said the band of thunderstorms responsible was moving eastward.
On Twitter, Hauraki Gulf Weather said its live webcam caught lightning directly hitting the Sky Tower.
Direct hit on the Sky tower caught on our live webcam. A negative charged downward streamer found a positive upward streamer match launching from the Sky Tower's 50cm diameter dynasphere lightning protector on top of the mast. pic.twitter.com/vmAId3ZqCx
— Hauraki Gulf Weather (@GulfHauraki) May 10, 2023
Also on Twitter, Auckland councillor Shane Henderson said: "Just absolutely stonked it down here in Te Atatū for exactly 2 minutes".
"Such bizarre weather patterns."
From the Sky Tower, looking toward the Harbour Bridge.
— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) May 10, 2023
Slowed down to two frames per second. pic.twitter.com/5hBljGjxo1
The temperature in Auckland had also dropped from recent levels - MetService's website said it had fallen to 10 degrees by 9:30pm.
A cold snap was meant to hit the city tomorrow as well.
JetStar flight diverted after possible lightning strike
Earlier on Wednesday afternoon a JetStar flight from Auckland was diverted to Christchurch following a suspected lightning strike.
The plane had been travelling to Dunedin and it landed in Ōtautahi just before 5pm.
JetStar said it had more engineering support in Christchurch, where the aeroplane was being inspected after the incident. But it said planes were designed to withstand lightning and continue flying safely.
