> From the WeatherWatch archives
!BREAKING WEATHER NEWS
It’s happening again in Canterbury – a major outbreak of thunderstorms has developed in the past hour with almost 1300 strikes recorded by the lightning detector at WeatherWatch.co.nz.
Head weather analyst Philip Duncan says much of Canterbury is exposed to the thundery weather. “The combination of a low pressure system and hot summer sun has led to some large thunderstorms right across Canterbury”. Mr Duncan says the same low was responsible for creating a spectacular waterspout in Sumner this morning and a large thunderstorm in Invercargill that caused surface flooding yesterday afternoon.
“If you hear thunder nearby get indoors until it passes over” says Mr Duncan.
According to research in the United States thunderstorms kill more people per year than hurricanes.
Mr Duncan expects conditions to clear sometime after 5pm tonight.
Do you have photos of the thunderstorms? Or eyewitness accounts? Share them with us!
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Before you add a new comment, take note this story was published on 18 Jan 2009.
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Kerrie on 18/01/2009 5:35am
I live out at Lincoln and most of the afternoon we have had really horrible Thunder,Lightning and Hail. It was crazy since it’s Summer. and the Street’s where very flooded!.
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T-Storm Watcher on 18/01/2009 3:18am
I’m in Burwood, can see really dark threatening thunderstorm type clouds hanging about towards the south-west, but no lightning activity as of yet.
I’ve seen on the lightning radar for the last hour there’s around 1000 strikes hovering above the Rakaia River but all south of Christchurch city.
Maybe it’s heading towards the city soon…
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