Summer's back! NZ set to sizzle

Author: NZ Herald,
Publish Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2018, 9:40AM

The mercury is set to rise above 30C today for many on the eastern coastlines of New Zealand as golden weather returns.

After another hot and sticky night, it's set to be a scorcher with Masterton expected to reach 33C and Christchurch, Gisborne and Hastings tipping 31C on an east coast bathed in sunshine.

Other centres will enjoy balmy temperatures in the high 20s as morning cloud and showers clear to a sun-filled summer afternoon.

MetService says it will be a calmer day on the thunderstorm front, though there still remained a risk of a thunderclap and localised deluges over northern and central New Zealand this afternoon.

Aside from the thunderstorms, tomorrow is going to be a 🌞scorcher🌞, with 33 picked for Masterton and 31 for Christchurch🔥🔥 ^TA pic.twitter.com/cDoo2N00Jk
— MetService (@MetService) January 23, 2018

The ranges in Gisborne and northern Hawke's Bay and eastern Bay of Plenty were expected to be in line for thunderstorms with intense downpours and hail forecast for after lunch. The broader Bay of Plenty, Taupo and Hawke's Bay regions were at a lesser risk of violent weather.

Thunderstorms could also boil up over the northern tip of both islands and the bottom of the South Island towards the end of the day.

For the first time in weeks there are few weather warnings as a large area of high pressure spreads across the country.

It comes after a day of torrential localised deluges as super-charged cells lashed regions across the North Island.

⚡⚡Yesterday by the figures: 1869 lightning strikes⚡, inc.1079 over Hawkes Bay, 5 over Auckland (with 3 Severe thunderstorm warnings issued). 52mm of rain in one hour over Rosedale, and 111km/hr gusts at Napier airport. Phew! Calmer day today, see https://t.co/BZWb7ZPiRd ^TA pic.twitter.com/JCTBQS3koU
— MetService (@MetService) January 23, 2018

A month's worth of rain fell on a single Auckland suburb yesterday morning, turning roads to rivers and flooding homes.

Last night seven people were evacuated from a home at Rangipo in the central North Island as a cloudburst unleashed a torrent of rain.

A section of SH46 was closed and occupants of a house were moved to safety as the southern Taupo district was hit by severe cloud bursts.

Police asked motorists to avoid all unnecessary travel in the area and drive to the conditions.