A house has been hit by lightning near Palmerston this afternoon as wild weather hits large parts of the South Island. A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said it received a call at 1.10pm reporting a lightning strike on Palmerston-Hampden Rd. Metservice have issued a raft of weather warnings for the South Island today, with heavy rain, thunderstorms and even snow expected. Metservice are warning the thunderstorms are likely to be accompanied by heavy rain, large hail and possible tornadoes. Very heavy rain can cause surface and/or flash flooding about streams, gullies and urban areas, and make driving conditions extremely hazardous.

Source: Otago Daily Times November 18, 2019 00:33 UTC