Lightning, thunder and heavy rain lashed the Wakatipu basin last night, a taster of more unsettled spring weather expected well into next week.
Queenstown weather forecaster David Crow said this morning it was "the best thunder storm I've seen for quite a number of years - fork lightning and everything, very spectacular.''
Mr Crow said there was 33mm of rainfall in the previous 24 hours, as of this morning, and 99% fell in the storm. It was the heaviest 24 hours since June 4 last year, when 33.6mm of rain fell.
Wind speed was moderate in urban areas, but picked up to gale force in exposed areas around the basin.
Asked what was the cause of the wild Wakatipu weather, Mr Crow said there was a "very moist, very unstable northwesterly airstream covering the whole of the South Island and it covers the Tasman Sea and it's going to be very slow moving.
"We've got disturbances and fronts in this airstream moving over from time and time and they're bringing increased show activity to the area as they pass over.
"It's not all over yet. These conditions are going to remain for quite a number of days.''
Mr Crow said he forecast unsettled weather throughout the weekend, including rain showers from this afternoon, leading to heavy showers and possibly a repeat of Thursday night's storm tonight.
The mercury was likely to drop as a depression developed to the South.
The snow level was expected to lower down to as much as 800m by Sunday to make up for earlier milder snow-melting temperatures.
"It's going to be a very unsettled spring period, we get this weather in spring time,'' Mr Crow said.
