Weather tracker: floods and tornado hit New Zealand as Europe heats up

Storms followed months of heavy rain on the North Island, while temperatures in France and Spain rose to almost 20C Over the Christmas period, the upper North Island of New Zealand experienced stormy conditions, grounding flights and flooding roads. Thunderstorms broke out on 22 December, leading to heavy rainfall and an incredible 4,500 lightning strikes in just two hours. Unfortunately, one of these lightning strikes set a property alight in the town of Waitōtara in the south of the island. A...