Auckland to get more wild weather, as overnight thunderstorm strikes
Aucklanders are waking up to more rain and strong gusts this morning, with showers - some heavy - and possible thunderstorms and hail all featuring on today’s forecast.
A total of 1247 lightning strikes were recorded in the North Island between 8pm and 6am, according to MetService this morning.
Auckland saw 329 lightning strikes, while the Waikato region was described as the “lightning rod” of the north by meteorologist Alec Holden; clocking in 414 strikes in total overnight.
Waka Kotahi is warning for motorists to expect delays on Auckland’s Harbour Bridge “due to ongoing strong wind gusts”.
“[The] Harbour Bridge will be operating with 4 lanes in each direction during this morning’s peak travel period. Expect delays. Take extra care especially if you are in a lighter or high-sided vehicle,” the organisation said
It is also set to be a cold day. MetService is forecasting a temperature high of 14C, while an overnight low of 8C will mean for an extra blanket or two.
Just after 6am, the weather authority reported conditions to be feeling like 13C and that people would need three layers of clothing - including something windproof.
Strong westerly winds are also on the cards. Gusts of up to 56km/h are expected, MetService said.
A sudden cluster of thunderstorms hit the city overnight - about 9pm - bringing in howling winds, heavy rain and hail stones the size of peanut M&Ms.
Loud thunder turned into lightning - at one point, striking the Sky Tower.
Members of the public from various parts of the city took to social media to share photos of giant hail stones and dramatic video footage - including the spectacular moment the Sky Tower was struck.
The hailstorm was reported in suburbs around Auckland - including in Point Chevalier and Mt Albert.
While heavy rain and thunderstorms were also reported in Mt Eden, Onehunga, Titirangi, Massey, Ponsonby and parts of South Auckland.
The size of the hailstones was described by one Mt Albert resident as being “as big as M&Ms”.
“The most intense thunderstorm I’ve ever experienced is rolling over Ponsonby right now,” one local said.
Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni had a frightening experience as the plane she was travelling on attempted to land at Auckland Airport during the weather event.
“The plane was getting knocked around. Ended up circling for about 45 minutes and then landing safely,” she shared on social media.
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Christmas gifts stolen from parked car prompts warning over holiday break-ins
An Auckland man whose Christmas presents were stolen from his car on a quiet street is warning others not to repeat his mistake.
Police and the AA say opportunistic thieves are breaking into cars more frequently during the Christmas period.
Jeremy Rees, an RNZ staff member in Auckland, had packed his car full of gifts when he decided to visit a friend.
“Everyone had handed over presents and we had a couple of bags full of presents sitting in the back of the car,” he said.
“I decided it would be great to go around and see a friend, drop off some presents and say hello. My wife said to me, ‘Are you sure we should be taking this car?’ I said, ‘I’m sure it’ll be fine’.
“I think it was only 20 minutes outside their house, a very quiet street. It was light [outside]. We came out and my wife pointed out that someone had smashed the rear window, reached in and grabbed the presents, and headed away.
“It was a shock. It was a shock partly because of the Christmas presents and partly because my wife had been telling me, ‘Don’t do that’.”
AA Insurance head of motor claims Beau Paparoa said roadside staff were responding to smashed windows more often.
“We definitely see car break-ins starting to occur a lot more around this time of year. We’re often hearing from customers and some of our roadside teams that there’s definitely a bit more opportunistic theft happening,” he said.
“We’re putting that down to it being a busy time of year. Everyone’s out doing their Christmas shopping and there’s much more presence of gifts and valuables being visible in the car.”
He encouraged people to be careful and make sure valuables were hidden from view.
“In terms of any valuables, if you’ve done some Christmas shopping, or if generally you’ve got valuables in your car, try [to] keep them locked away or out of sight – in your boot if you can,” he said.
“Where you’re parking is possibly a good thing to think about. If you can afford to, don’t park on the street, but if you have to park on-street, make sure you park in well-lit areas.”
Police said it was not uncommon for Christmas presents to be stolen.
“The key is to remove any opportunity. This includes taking valuables or documents out of vehicles wherever possible,” a spokesperson said.
Rees said he wished he had followed that advice.
“I feel a bit stupid, to be absolutely honest. I read all of the things from police saying ‘don’t do this, don’t pack your car, don’t just leave it on the street’, and I did exactly the opposite and I paid the price.”
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Auckland Harbour Bridge summer works
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is carrying out essential maintenance on the Auckland Harbour Bridge this December and January. The southbound clip-on lanes will be closed (24/7) from 26 December to 5 January for road resurfacing. Night-time lane restrictions will be in place throughout the summer for recoating work on the bridge. Traffic will still be able to travel in both directions at all times.
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