!BREAKING WEATHER NEWS

As predicted by MetService yesterday a large area of thunderstorms has exploded over Canterbury. 

The Weather Watch Centre’s Head weather analyst Philip Duncan says lightning strikes have shot up this afternoon with almost 1200 recorded in just the past 60 minutes by the live Lightning Detector at WeatherWatch.co.nz. He says it’s a result of afternoon heating combined with unstable air conditions.

Mr Duncan says violent thunderstorms like this can be deadly and people should stay indoors until the storms have eased later today or this evening. Earlier last year a man was killed by lightning in Northland while riding his horse during a violent thunderstorm.

“There are a number of large cells moving through the Canterbury region with Christchurch expected to receive more heavy rain and thunderstorms shortly” says Duncan.

MetService issued a special update warning that large hail may fall over Canterbury.

Meanwhile thunderstorms over the North Island appear to have mostly dissipated dispite an active thunderstorm watch. Heavy rain is moving into Waikato with rain or heavy showers expected for Auckland later this afternoon or evening.

Hot and humid weather continues ahead of the front with Whangarei reaching a very muggy 28 degrees this hour with 24 in Auckland fanned by a strong westerly. It’s 27 across the Coromandel Peninsula compared to just 14 degrees in Oamaru.

See our live Lightning Detector here.

Do you have photos or eyewitness acounts of the thunderstorms or hail?  Send them to us and we’ll share them with the news media!  Use the Upload Your Photos link on the right hand side, or send us a YouTube link with any video footage.