Say goodbye to the lightning, torrential downpours and the daffodil-destroying hail - sunshine is set to spread across Waikato from tomorrow.

The high pressure system that has been straddling the Tasman Sea should move over the region and bring some fine weather, but just until the weekend.

It's a striking contrast to the violent thunderstorms that shook houses across the region over the weekend.

Three hundred and forty one lightning strikes hit ground within an 80km radius of Hamilton between midday Saturday and noon yesterday.

But hail was the primary worry for daffodil grower Ian Riddell.

He said 5-15 per cent of his 8.5ha crop in Gordonton was rendered worthless as pellets of ice tore through their delicate petals.

"I don't think we got it too bad but there's definitely rips in the flowers," he said.

"It's just something you have to put up with. You can imagine picking a crop that's 99 per cent perfect compared to picking a crop that's 10 or 15 per cent damaged - it slows you down."

It was the first hail damage at Clandon Daffodils this year. Sometimes they suffer up to four dumps during the spring growing season so Mr Riddell is counting his blessings.

Parts of Hamilton were also battered by hail on Sunday night.

MetService forecaster Hordur Thordarson said the dramatic event was the result of warm, moist air at lower levels merging with colder air higher up, creating an updraft.

"When these things come together, the stage is set for some great convective thunderstorms and hail."

As the warm air near the surface rose, colder air was drawn down, creating the sudden drop in temperature residents felt as the hailstorm hit.

The hail was reportedly strong enough to crack a car windscreen at one Waikato house while another resident said it set a car alarm off.

Ridge Mortensen in St Andrews said the hail sounded like "golf balls hitting the roof".

- © Fairfax NZ News

Comments