Electrical storms laced with powerful winds are starting to barrel up New Zealand this afternoon as the country braces for another four days of unstable weather.
A raft of weather watches and warnings are in force across New Zealand, and a fresh thunderstorm watch for most western regions has been issued this afternoon.
Snow is expected to fall to sea level in the deep south, and thunderstorms, heavy rain and potentially damaging winds are set to pummel western regions of both islands.
Snow is expected to keep falling in alpine regions; the Milford Rd is expected to get more than half a metre near the tunnel.
Weatherwatch says a deep storm in the Southern Ocean will bring at least another four days of unstable weather to all parts of New Zealand and severe weather may linger until the middle of next week.
“There are many moving parts to this storm, and while not everyone is impacted by bad weather those in the west, central areas and the deep south are exposed to it from time to time until the middle of next week,” the forecaster said.
After a wild start to the day, as motorists using the Auckland Harbour Bridge were put on notice that lanes could close due to high winds and electrical storms laced with hail larger than grapes battered the West Coast, a second wave of rough weather is set to blast up from the south this afternoon.
Motorists were instructed to use chains on the Crown Range Rd today. Photo / George Heard
The latest thunderstorm alert has Manawatū to Waikato under a watch in the early hours of Saturday through to 11 am, with a warning of heavy rain, hail, and strong winds gusting 90 to 110km/h, and the possibility of a few tornadoes.
In some cases, MetService is warning the storms could become severe, with damaging winds gusting greater than 110km/h.
The fierce weather is due to hit Wellington after dark when 5m swells are expected to swamp Kapiti and Porirua coastline.
The region remains under a heavy swell warning until midnight Saturday.
Wellington Region Emergency Management Office is warning the big seas are likely to wash up debris on coastal roads and cause flooding. People are urged to stay away from the coast.
This afternoon a slip had closed a section of SH58 in Wellington connecting Paremata to Transmission Gully. New Zealand Transport Agency advised motorists to avoid the area or delay their journey.
Niwa’s modelling shows a line of showers and thunderstorms with potentially damaging 120km/h wind gusts moving from the west of the South Island to the lower North Island by later tonight.
The forecaster is warning the thunderstorms could spark torrential rain, hail and tornadoes.
A severe thunderstorm watch was issued at lunchtime for the entire West Coast of the South Island until midnight.
19,397 lighting strikes in 24 hours
MetService revealed since 8 am yesterday there had been nearly 20,000 lightning strikes in 24 hours, mainly affecting western regions of both islands.
The storm caused significant disruption this morning with a lightning strike hitting two Transpower circuits and cutting power to the entire Buller district.
Buller Electricity told customers Transpower had advised it had a lightning strike to both circuits but expected to get power back on around noon.
Virtually the entire South Island is now cloaked in weather warnings.
Residents in Castle Hill in the Canterbury high country were cut off overnight because of snow.
Today, SH94 that connects Te Anau with Milford Sound was closed and is expected to be affected by bad weather across the weekend. Convoys were planned to allow some traffic in and out of the township today.
Latest road snowfall warnings include all alpine passes.
Up to 3cm of snow is expected to settle on the summit of the Dunedin to Waitati Highway tomorrow.
