Unsettled weather was the theme for much of the country over the Easter weekend, and is expected to continue for the next couple of days, thanks to an unstable airmass over Aotearoa. MetService has issued an Orange Heavy Rain Warning for Westland about and north of Aoraki/Mt Cook, as well as several Heavy Rain and Severe Thunderstorm Watches.

Monday had particularly active weather, with nearly nine thousand lightning strikes recorded over Aotearoa in 24 hours. Just over a third of those strikes were recorded in the Nelson region, with another thousand over the Bay of Plenty.

MetService meteorologist Alwyn Bakker says, “Thunderstorms are also associated with damaging wind gusts, and we’ve also had reports of tornadoes, although they’re difficult to confirm without photo or video evidence due to their very localised nature.”

Thunderstorms are expected to continue today, with Severe Thunderstorm Watches out for Buller and Westland, as well as the upper half of the North Island. If severe thunderstorms occur, they could bring hail, localised downpours, and possibly tornadoes. Tornadic wind gusts can cause some structural damage, including trees and power lines, and may make driving hazardous. If any tornadoes occur, they will have a limited area of effect.

Heavy rain is also expected for parts of the South Island this week, with an Orange Heavy Rain Warning out for northern Westland, and Heavy Rain Watches for Buller, the headwaters of the Canterbury lakes and rivers between Lewis Pass and Mount Cook, North Otago and Dunedin.

There’s a bright spot on the horizon, however. The weather is set to improve towards the end of the week, as a ridge starts to build southeast of the country.

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