NZ Weather Forum

MetService - Thunderstorm Outlook

Valid to: Midnight Saturday 18 Jul 2015
Issued at: 8:50am Saturday 18 Jul 2015

A front is forecast to move across northern and central New Zealand later this morning and afternoon, bringing a brief period of heavy rain and strong northwesterly winds to the area. Refer to the latest Severe Warning Warning and Watch for more details. There is a low to moderate risk of brief embedded thunderstorms in these areas with the passage of the front, as indicated on the chart. Any thunderstorms that eventuate are likely to produce localised heavy rain of 10 to 25mm per hour and possibly more in a few places, strong wind gusts of 90 to 110 km/h and there is a low risk of a small tornado near the coast.

A deep fast moving low and associated trough are then forecast to move across the North Island in the evening, bringing a further moderate risk of thunderstorms to western and northern areas. These thunderstorms are also likely to produce localised heavy rain and strong wind gusts of 90 to 110 km/h and there is a low risk of one or two SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS producing damaging wind gusts in excess of 110 km/h and possibly a small tornado.

There is a broader low risk of thunderstorms extending further east and south down to parts of Nelson and the Marlborough Sounds, as indicated on the chart.

No thunderstorms or significant convection expected elsewhere.

MetService T-storm Outlook map for July 8.png

spwill wrote:A burst of strong wind now, that's the front passing here now

littleheaven wrote:We just had what might have been some kind of downburst in Glenfield. Rain was surging and extremely heavy, and then there was a huge wind gust that hit the house, shook the whole building and the rain was swirling upwards.