MetService warns New Zealanders need to be on the lookout as the central North Island faces being blasted by severe thunderstorms, lightning strikes and heavy rain on Tuesday.
The bad weather that struck the South Island is moving up the country, bringing the risk of flash flooding, slips and make driving hazardous.
"Today and tomorrow there are significant thunderstorm risks for New Zealand," MetService meteorologist Georgina Griffiths told The AM Show on Tuesday.
Over 4000 lightning strikes struck New Zealand on Monday, and heavy rain lashed some communities.
"For the North Island, there is a high risk of thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening from southern Waikato and Taupo down to inland parts of Taranaki, Whanganui and Manawatu," MetService warns.
"There is a risk that some of these thunderstorms could become SEVERE, producing localised downpours of 25 to 40mm per hour. Rainfall of this intensity can cause flash flooding, slips and hazardous driving conditions."
Isolated heavy showers and thunderstorms are expected to hit inland parts of the South Island on Tuesday, too.
"For the ranges of Nelson and Marlborough, the Canterbury High Country, Central Otago and inland parts of North Otago and Dunedin, there is a risk that one or two of these thunderstorms could become severe," MetService warns.
The Central Otago town of Roxburgh was left devastated after a flash flood on the weekend. Six hundred people were left without power and water and houses were evacuated.
Over Monday night, the weather hit Alexandra and Clyde. A Fire and Emergency spokesman says they were called to five flooding events - although there were no evacuations.
Newshub.
