The foreboding dark clouds rolled over much of Hawke's Bay this afternoon, quickly making way for an onslaught of thunderstorms with torrential rain, large hail, and lightning. 

MetService Meteorologist Peter Little says the situation is "very ripe" to produce thunderstorms.

So far today, he says there have been 1800 strikes in the region.

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued at 3.24pm and was lifted at 4.13pm. However, a watch remains in place until 8pm.  

"A group of cells went across Napier, Hastings and much of Hawke's Bay in the last hour or so and I issued a warning because there was certainly an indication of large hail and torrential rain." 

He says the group of cells have now moved to the southeast of Hastings, over Hawke Bay and towards the Mahia Peninsula. 

"It is no longer severe. It has weakened somewhat," he says.

"We had quite a lot of daytime heating over the land which gives you a lot more buoyancy, now that the cells are moving over water, the water is much cooler so that fuel to really give the strong updrafts in these storms is diminished." 

While the "heavy stuff" may have ease, Little says more rain will fall this evening. 

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