An active front is bringing volatile weather to parts of New Zealand tonight, with loud thunder in Auckland and flights cancelled from the capital earlier.
There has been a “lot of thunderstorm activity over western parts of the North Island” on Thursday night, according to MetService meteorologists, as fronts embedded in a strong northwesterly flow spread onto the country.
However, no official warnings have been issued by the forecaster.
In Auckland, a loud boom of thunder could be heard just before 7pm.
“Wow – a thunderous whack over Mt Albert – think the thunder may have arrived in Auckland,” one person wrote on Twitter.
Flights cancelled in capital amid ‘fast-moving’ weather
A spell of northwesterlies is forecast to sweep over the country over the coming days as meteorological spring approaches. MetService said a series of “fast-moving” weather systems look set to bring heavy rain and the occasional thunderstorm to parts.
The first of these systems moved across the country today, making its presence known with strong winds in Wellington, Wairarapa and the Marlborough Sounds.
A yellow wind watch was earlier issued for the region.
Wild weather forces flights to be cancelled and will ease but is likely to return. (Source: 1News)
Strong winds in the capital caused issues for arriving aircraft with about a dozen services cancelled and a flight from Auckland forced to turn around.
Friday arrives with a bit of improvement, although western areas may still experience showers and strong winds will persist in the lower North Island and lower South Island.
Brighter skies are expected elsewhere and Hawke’s Bay is likely to experience unseasonably warm temperatures.
‘Stuck on replay’: Unsettled conditions continue
MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane advised it would be best to make the most of any good weather when it came.
That’s because a “more intense” fast-moving system approaches on Saturday, bringing another round of wet and windy weather.
Most regions could expect windy conditions, but the strongest gusts were likely to be over the lower, inland and eastern areas of both main islands.
Heavy rain was expected in the west from Fiordland up to Tasman and into Canterbury and Otago near the Southern Alps, Makgabutlane said.
“The rain spreads over the North Island from the afternoon, with the evening and overnight hours looking particularly wet.”
Waikato, Taranaki, Horowhenua, and Kapiti could expect periods of heavy rain which will extend to the eastern ranges of the Bay of Plenty on Sunday.
“The weather seems to be stuck on ‘replay’ as unsettled conditions continue into the start of next week with yet another wet and windy system on the horizon,” Makgabutlane said.