Thunder and lightning and strange weather in Wellington

"WINTER STORMS WITH SUMMER TEMPERATURES"

Last night we were kept awake by thunder and lightning accompanied by strong winds and rain. When we got up we found there had been hail.

I don't remember seeing fork lightning in these parts ever. We normally get sheet lightning.  It seemed to go on for a long time.

 At midday we measured the temperature outside as 17C whereas the internet gave a temperature of 15C) which is, despite the rapid end of the Indian summer, well above a mean temperature of about 11 degrees (or a mean MAXIMUM of 15 degrees Celsius).

Perhaps it's no surprise when you see that lingering warm patch in the Tasman sea is very persistant

'Epic' thunder and lightning light up Wellington

Dozens of lightning strikes lit up Wellington last night as a huge thunderstorm rattled the capital and cut power to 18,000 homes.

Lightning flashing over central Wellington. Photo: SUPPLIED / Thomas Borrmann

Radio NZ,

25 May, 2016

 

Gary Tuohy‏@Eleven11label

Sure I only just caught the lightning on my phone. #Lightning #Wellington

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12:18 AM - 25 May 2016

 

Allan‏@AlmightyAllan

Yikes! That was epic! @lyallbaynz @DomPost @NZStuff #SouthCoast #Wellington #HoughtonBay #WhyWellington #ShareMeWLG

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12:45 AM - 25 May 2016

Wellington Electricity said 18,000 customers had been affected, but power has now returned to all homes.

Chief executive Greg Skelton said the company had restored power in stages to make sure the network was not overloaded.

He said lightning had struck hit the transformer that takes power from the National Grid near Gracefield.

Power went out in Wainuiomata, Eastbourne, Petone and the Southern parts of Lower Hutt, he said.

He said this latest was the fifth storm front to come through overnight.

As the lightning lit up the sky, thunder and heavy wind gusts shook houses in the capital last night, with some residents describing the storm as intense.

"Never seen such constant, prolific lightening before," a Wellingtonian texted RNZ.

MetService said the "impressive" line of thunderstorms moved quickly through the capital then off to the east of the city.

The forecaster said the storms were swept in to the city by an active band of rain.

Although there were thousands of lightning strikes across the country last night MetService said the thunderstorm was is one of the smaller ones in recent weeks.

In the 12 hours from 11pm to 11am, 2568 lightning strikes were recorded.

Winds were strongest around Wellington, with 118km/hour gusts recorded on the Rimutakas.

MetService meteorologist Lisa Murray said the typical autumn weather, with a westerly airflow, would hang about until the weekend.

More strangeness from Australia - no frosts in inland Victoria while Queensland is close to zero

Deejay Rebel

3 hrs · 

How ironic! We in south Kyneton in down south State of Vic still haven't had a frost and tropical QLD closer to the equator having below zero temperatures! I think I will grow bananas soon!