Photo / MetServiceKiwis north of Hamilton could be hit with severe thunderstorms and a small tornado as wild weather thrashes the country. MetService announced a severe thunderstorm watch for Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island, the Coromandel Peninsula and Waikato this afternoon. Update: The greatest risk of severe thunderstorms is now for the Coromandel and Great Barrier Island. Residents in the upper North Island should expect a gnarly Sunday afternoon with severe thunderstorms expected. Scores of houses and farmland in the upper South Island were completely flooded across Buller and Marlborough - prompting two states of emergency.

Source: New Zealand Herald July 18, 2021 04:07 UTC