Loud booms of thunder and brilliant flashes of lightning woke residents across Auckland and Waikato shortly after midnight this morning as a frontal system moved through.  Today will see a clearance in many areas but weather conditions are by no means becoming settled.

The isobars will continue to remain tightly packed with a blustery day for almost everyone today and tomorrow.

This morning gale force winds are affecting the Manukau Heads with gusts over 110km/h.   Conditions are significantly lighter at Auckland Airport and across the CBD where gusts are only reaching about 40km/h – although winds are expected to lift today and tomorrow.

A strong northerly is affecting east coast regions such as Wairoa, Napier and Hastings – temperatures are expected to reach over 20 degrees there today…it’s already 15.

Winds averaging 110km/h and gusting to 130km/h are blasting the hilltops of Wellington but it’s calmer in the CBD where the northerly remains under the gale threshold – although gusts are now reaching 90km/h…it’s a similar story in Kaikoura.

Gale force nor’westers are hammering Banks Peninsula with winds averaging 75km/h at Akaroa however Christchurch remains sheltered at this stage with gusts only reaching 65km/h.  Strong winds are also blowing through the West Coast and Invercargill with gusts up to 75km/h.