Severe thunderstorm warning issued for Waikato

MetService has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Waikato, with a severe thunderstorm watch in place for most of the rest of the North Island.

The thunderstorm was moving east, south-east and was detected near Te Kauwhata, Meremere and Ohinewai, between Auckland and Huntly, at 12:30pm today, the weather forecaster said.

It is now moving east-southeast, and is expected to reach Huntly at 1:30pm.

The thunderstorms are expected to be accompanied by torrential rain, which can cause flash and/or surface flooding, MetService said.

A thunderstorm watch remains for most of the North Island, including Auckland, the Coromandel Peninsula, Waitomo, Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay, and Taupō.