MetService has issued an orange wind warning for Auckland and part of Northland

MetService has issued an orange wind warning for Auckland and parts of Northland, resulting in hail and thunderstorms. Photo / Brodie Stone
Thunderstorms and wind gusts are some of the intense weather Northlanders may experience this afternoon, till tomorrow morning.
The MetService has issued an orange wind warning for Auckland and part of Northland from 3pm to 9pm tonight. The warning has been upgraded from a strong wind watch. The strongest winds are expected to hit about 5pm.
With hail experienced in Whangārei around 4pm Metservice also advised: “Strong southwesterlies and snow for parts of the North Island. A cold southwest flow brings strong southwest winds to parts of the North Island, and heavy snow to the central North Island. A warning for severe gales and watch heavy snow are in force.”
In a weather watch MetService said Northland and parts of the North Island will experience thunderstorms.
“Squally thunderstorms in a strong south-westerly flow may bring damaging wind gusts this afternoon and evening for the south of Northland, Auckland and Coromandel Peninsula. Wind gusts of this strength can cause some structural damage, including trees and power lines, and may make driving hazardous.”
MetService added that a severe thunderstorm watch means conditions are favourable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
“People in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and monitor for possible severe thunderstorm warnings.”
Meanwhile one driver said her saw what he believed was sleet in the Dome Valley, about 1.5 hours’ drive south of Whangārei, today.
Retired Waipu farmer John Subritzky, was driving north along State Highway 1 through the Dome Valley about 1.30pm when he ran into a storm.
”In 50 years of driving through the Dome Valley, I have never seen sleet there before,” Subritzky said.
Subritzky, who is familiar with snow, sleet and hail from skiing at Mt Ruapehu, said the believed sleet fell onto his windscreen as he was heading north out of Dome Valley along the main highway between Auckland and Whangārei.
”I drove into a fierce storm. I was surprised to see a mixture of rain and sleet on the windscreen.”
“The outside temperature had dropped rapidly, falling by about 30% in less than five minutes.
“It dropped from 12 to 9C in the space of 2km,” Subritzky said.