Weather
Metservice have issued a severe Thunderstorm warning for Southland today.
Storms are likely to hit Southland later this afternoon.
Over the South Island, the combination of another warm humid day and light winds will lead to cloud buildups producing scattered heavy showers and thunderstorms over many inland areas this afternoon and evening.
Valid to: Midnight Thursday 4 Jan 2018
Issued at: 8:21am Thursday 4 Jan 2018
There is a moderate to high risk of thunderstorms about most inland areas from about Nelson Lakes southwards,and a few of these will spread out towards coastal parts of Otago.
These thunderstorms will be accompanied by localised heavy rain of 10-25mm/hr, and it is possible a few of the storms could be severe with localised downpours of 25-40mm/hr, especially from the Canterbury High Country southwards.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is likely to be issued. Rainfall of this intensity can lead to surface or flash flooding,and make driving conditions hazardous.
Over the North Island, a frontal rainband associated with a deepening low in the north Tasman Sea will move southwards over the island during the day. Severe Weather Watches and Warnings for wind and rain are in force for this system.
In general, thunderstorms are not expected with the front, however there is a low risk of a few thunderstorms on the back edge or behind the front moving onto the Far North late afternoon and spreading down to Waikato, Waitomo and Coromandel Peninsula during the evening.
In between these two risk areas, scattered heavy showers are expected over the southern part of the North Island and the top of the South Island this afternoon,and there is a low risk of a few of these developing into thunderstorms as indicated on the chart.
No other thunderstorms or significant convection expected over New Zealand during this period.