More than 30,000 lightning strikes were recorded over New Zealand the surrounding seas as thunderstorms lashed the country.

Yesterday, the MetService issued thunderstorm warnings for Auckland, Southern Northland, Waikato, Waitomo and further south as an active front swept across New Zealand.

Lightning caught on camera in the Bay of Plenty last night. Photo: Glenn Dellaway Smith.

While the Bay of Plenty was not included in the initial warning, bursts of heavy rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning hit Tauranga around 8pm.

The thunderstorm continue to roll across the Bay, with reports of it hitting Rotorua around 12.30am.

'Nice bit of thunder and lightning and hail at 12.30am in Rotorua, could not sleep due to the loud noise,” reported SunLive reader Glenn Dellaway Smith.

Thunderstorms moving across the North Island last night. Image: MetService.

The MetService reported the last of the lightning moving off the country around 7am.

"A lightning strike every 11 seconds as the front passed Auckland last night. Quieter night tonight," tweeted the MetService this morning.

Over 30,000 lightning strikes over #NewZealand and surrounding sea in the last 24 hours. ^EB pic.twitter.com/fMwsUUOqBb

— MetService (@MetService) May 16, 2016

According to the MetService today, the weather is looking fine in the Bay with a southwest wind easing.

Strong southerlies in Christchurch and Wellington are easing, but today will feel much cooler ^TA pic.twitter.com/pehk6uO3Vc

— MetService (@MetService) May 16, 2016