> From the WeatherWatch archives
!SEVERE WEATHER EVENT
6:56pm Saturday
A band of torrential rain and thunderstorms are moving across eastern Bay of Plenty, East Cape and northern Hawkes Bay
Lightning strikes are rapidly increasing, rising from 450 an hour at 6:20pm to 750 an hour at 6:55pm.
The towns of Whakatane, Edgecumbe, Gisborne and Wairoa are all areas most exposed to this system.
Rain is heavy enough to cause surface or flash flooding and the Weather Watch Centre advises staying indoors until the front has passed in the next hour or two.
Conditions will ease after dark.
People can monitor the thunderstorms using our the free and live lightning detector here.
Have an eyewitness report or photos? Send them in!
Comments
Before you add a new comment, take note this story was published on 7 Mar 2009.
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Paul Mallinson on 7/03/2009 6:47am
Why don’t you tell the public that a Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect and it was first issued at 11:15am this morning?
Reply
WW Forecast Team on 7/03/2009 7:03am
Hi Paul,
This was a breaking news story, really just covering any news. You’ll see we mentioned the MetService Severe TS Watch in this mornings update at 10:19am. (http://www.weatherwatch.co.nz/content/thunderstorms-moving-west)
Cheers!
Philip Duncan
Reply
Debsta on 7/03/2009 4:50am
My sister rang from Welcome Bay. There was a huge thunderclap followed by a fireball and now they have no power from Tauranga to Katikati and cantwatch the rugby!
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Twinkle on 7/03/2009 4:02am
There’s a huge CB towering above us, and I have been hearing distant thunder for the past 30 mins or so. It seems to be getting closer, as I can hear thunder louder and louder with more frequent intervals.
Man, I love a good thunderstorm (famous last words…)
Reply
WW Forecast Team on 7/03/2009 4:13am
Hey Twinkle,
Send us some photos if you can!
Oh and last time I said "man, i love a good thunderstorm", our gum tree blew down on to the fence I’d just built! 🙂
Philip Duncan
Reply