UPDATED 9:01am — A very active widespread area of thunderstorms is currently crossing the upper North Island, affecting Auckland and Waikato and soon Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, Manawatu and Kapiti.

Some storms have generated continuous rolling thunder – especially in parts of Auckland’s. 

The front is connected to a change in wind directions, from northerly to westerly and is the precursor to a cold change coming in to the South Island tonight and tomorrow.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says there have been hundreds of lightning flashes in the past hour and people should remain indoors if thunderstorms are nearby. Heavy downpours may also cause pockets of flooding. Thunderstorms are the most dangerous form of weather.

The next surge (as of 9am) was approaching Kapiti and Manawatu while the original storms in the north are tracking eastwards towards Bay of Plenty and East Cape later.

View New Zealand’s only Live and Free Lightning Tracker here (or in our Free App). www.weatherwatch.co.nz/lightning 

– WeatherWatch.co.nz