Lightning strikes and thunder claps have been so intense in Auckland today that many residents have shared videos of themselves reeling back – and sometimes yelling a few naughty words in shock – as their houses have rattled.
"I s*** myself," several people were recorded mumbling in shock in separate videos as they retreated from their windows after the sky lit up.
In one Stanmore Bay home that had lost power, young children screamed and cried as their mum said, "Oh my God", after a particularly rapturous rumble.
Elsewhere in Stanmore Bay, resident Paul Morgan filmed as a thunder clap was heard reverberating for nearly 20 seconds.
And in Blockhouse Bay, resident Amy Buncuga recorded as a bolt hit a tree outside her home - causing a fireball that momentarily engulfed the plant. Her video, which she said she had to mute due to her screams, has been shared hundreds of times on Facebook this morning.
The lightning strikes, which now number in the hundreds, continue to cause significant disruption at Auckland Airport.
The thunderstorms also brought with them massive rain dumps.
Auckland has hit a record for its wettest single hour in any December as far back as records have been kept.
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