Storm lashes Bay of Plenty 

Source: ONE NewsHail covers the road in Mount Maunganui

• WATCH the video (2:05)
• SEE the gallery (18 images)

A storm has hit the Western Bay of Plenty with heavy rain, waterspouts and hail stones the size of a 20 cent coin hitting the area.

Just before midday, a violent thunderstorm brought chaos to Papamoa and Mount Maunganui, with hail coating the areas.

There have also been thunderstorms and hail in Tauranga, Whakatane and Opotiki on Monday afternoon.

Up to ten centimetres of hail fell in places, blocking drains and flooding several streets and houses.

Worst affected were Oceanbeach Road, Concord Avenue and part of State Highway Two.

The wild weather  also churned up massive offshore twisters and the Bayfair Shopping Centre in Mt Maunganui evacuated 2000 people after a manhole collapsed sending floodwater into the building.

Several shops were under water and the centre was closed for much of the afternoon.

Roads were also flooded causing severe traffic disruption in the Mt Maunganui town centre.

This has prompted police to warn people in the Bay of Plenty to avoid driving.

Police say more bad weather is expected and anyone travelling from Gisborne through the Waioeka Gorge should delay their trip.

Pictures were captured by a TVNZ viewer of a waterspout at sea off Papamoa Beach.

Check out the awesome pictures locals have sent us of the storm

Papamoa residents say they saw several large waterspouts offshore between Motiti Island and Town Point and the winds that accompanied them were horrendous.

Mt Maunganui resident Wattie Newtown said he watched five waterspouts, one which lasted five to 10 minutes.

He said the hailstorm that followed left the beach looking like it was coated in snow.

Fire crews attended wind and weather-related incidents in Whakatane and Ohope.

Mt Maunganui photographer Katherine Payne said she saw a waterspout coming in past Motiti Island towards the shore at Papamoa East. 

"At first it was this is amazing! Look at this - it's a twister in the movies and everything, but at some point I thought maybe I should be thinking a little more serious about this," she said.
 
Residents say the sound of the driving hailstones was deafening and threatened to break windows. Some people reported minor damage to roofs and garages from the hail stones.

The storm also means no classes for students of Papamoa Beach school.

There have also been reports of farm animals dying.

Farmer Mark Dyer had to ring the insurance company when he found four of his cows dead. He thinks they may have been struck by lighting.

"I didn't see it happen but there were a few bangs half an hour before I came to get them in and it was still hailing when I came," he says.

For up to date forecasts for your region go to our weather page

Were you in the Papamoa or Arataki areas. Tell us what you saw on the message board below

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Renee Martin ; 2009-05-11 @ 18:27 NZDT

yeah I mean I go To Tauranga Intermediate and we were just doing out work and we were just about to go to another class to do film making and all of a sudden there was this lightning flash and we all looked at the window and there was nothing then we heard this loud as thunder crack and we were like "whoa". Then we got a message over the intercome saying that all classes are to get in side and stay in side so we couldnt do out film making. And what I just heard I am FREAKING

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Christopher.S ; 2009-05-11 @ 17:11 NZDT

I was at school and it was morning tea it was just coming down we had 2 hail storms at our school (Mount College) It was full on you could see lighting and hear the thunder.

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sjt17 ; 2009-05-11 @ 17:11 NZDT

A tornado type wind ripped down the main street moments ago picking up eveything in site; all shop sign, restaurants chair s and tables and a tree at the round about on Pacific Ave! It lasted about 2 minutes and then went completely still with the sun coming through. The hail is still aparently still waist deep down in Omanu and people have their snowboards out making the most of it!

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