Residents urged to shelter as storm passes through Northland, Auckland
RNZ
20 March 2022, 6:57 PM
Residents in Northland and Auckland have been urged to take shelter this morning as a severe thunderstorm travels down the North Island.
MetService has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the areas of Kaipara, Far North, Whangārei and Rodney.
A severe thunderstorm watch is already in force for Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula.
The National Emergency Management Agency is urging people to take shelter inside, away from windows as the weather hits early this morning.
Anyone on the water should return to land and loose objects should be secured.
issued a SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING for the following areas in the Auckland Region: KAIPARA, RODNEY & ALBANY.
Thunderstorms are expected to be accompanied by very heavy rain.
Latest info can be found here: https://metservice.com/warnings/home or by following @MetService
The line of thunderstorms was first spotted offshore as it approached the Bay of Islands just after 1am this morning.
Overnight, Purerua, in Bay of Islands, recorded just over 100 millilitres of rain in two hours.
Metservice meteorologist Jessie Owens said that was exceptional rain, and the hardest hit part of Northland.
Owen said most of the rain had cleared the Far North and was heading towards Auckland now.
Fire and Emergency said it had three flooding-related callouts in Auckland this morning.
A spokesperson said three properties in the suburb of Orewa, on the Hibiscus Coast, were affected by heavy rain in early hours of this morning.
A severe thunderstorm watch remains in force in the area.
WeatherWatch forecaster Philip Duncan told First Up tornadoes were possible in Auckland as thunderstorms and torrential rain lash the North Island this morning.
Severe weather warnings are in force for much of the upper North Island, people are being warned flash flooding and slips could be hazardous.
Duncan said wild winds could strike the so-called "tornado alley" of the north-western side of Auckland and the Waitematā Harbour.
He said forecasters spotted the potential for tornadoes in this weather event last week, which was unusual.
