Christchurch residents have reported thunder “like never before” after a storm swept across the city just after 9pm, with some capturing the lightning and loud “explosion” like noise on video, see below.

Hundreds of people contacted chrislynchmedia.com saying the noise was so loud it left some shaken.

One resident said, “thought the neighborhood was exploding! Never heard thunder like it.”

Another said, “made our house shake in Lincoln, we got such a fright , was like right over top of our house.”

A third resident said, “Incredibly Loud in Prebbleton! First one shook the house and second one sounded like a bomb went off!”

Another resident said, “tonight’s lightning blew a fuse in my house and half my power went out and now I can’t plug my fridge in as it trips the fuse box.”

MetService updated its forecast at 9pm, warning of rain with possible thunderstorms and hail, along with southerlies strong in exposed places.

Monday’s forecast is for showers, possibly heavy in the early morning, gradually easing towards evening, with southerlies strong in exposed places.