Severe thunderstorm watch

MetService has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for much of the lower North Island, including Porirua, and some areas have received warnings as actual storms have appeared on the weather radars. Thunderstorm watches & warnings can come & go quite rapidly as the weather systems producing the storms can change very quickly, they are very unstable in their nature.

Thunderstorms can bring not just thunder & lightning, but also damaging and quite localised wind gusts, and localised heavy downpours - and we know all to well the problems those can cause for us!

As a thunderstorm approaches we recommend that you:

• take shelter, preferably indoors away from windows
• avoid sheltering under trees, if outside
• move cars under cover or away from trees
• secure any loose objects around your property
• check that drains & gutters are clear
• be ready to slow down or stop, if driving

During and after the storm, you should also:

• be aware of fallen trees and power lines
• avoid streams and drains as you may be swept away in flash flooding
• stay out of flood waters, it's usually contaminated with sewage and you cannot see the hazards beneath (like open drain covers)

Take care out there today!