Unstable weather conditions crossed Auckland city Sunday afternoon leading to one WeatherWatch.co.nz reader to capture this unusual cloud formation.

Whenuapai resident Charmaine Featherstone wrote on WeatherWatch.co.nz’s page around 5:30pm to say “Looked out the window about 1/2 hour ago and saw this…”

Charmaine went on to say the unusual cloud was “absolutely massive”.  WeatherWatch.co.nz says unstable conditions are currently crossing over the Auckland region with large clouds bringing thunder and heavy downpours. 

“We have a shift in airmasses over the upper and western North Island at the moment, the mild air is about to give way to cooler sou’westers. During this change we’re seeing some rapid cloud formation, unstable conditions and unusual clouds as the updrafts and downdrafts do their work” says head weather analyst Philip Duncan.

“These clouds rapidly bubbled up over the Waitakere Ranges in the warm end of day sun, the slow movement means some downpours are likely to be heavy with isolated thunderstorms which could cause surface flooding in some suburbs  The risk for thunder will ease in the early evening but  isolated heavy showers may continue to pop up overnight”.

Showers will ease across Monday.

Photo by Charmaine Featherstone, Whenuapai, Auckland

– WeatherWatch.co.nz