Simple Minds, seen at an earlier show, was reportedly forced to end their show early due to dangerous weather. Photo: AFP
Heavy rain is pounding much of the North Island, with thousands reportedly forced to evacuate a Simple Minds concert in Hamilton early.
The Simple Minds concert in Hamilton's Claudelands Oval as part of the Summer Concert Series was evacuated before the end due to hazardous conditions and lightning.
"A crew member came on stage and told them cut it short," one woman on Facebook said on a Waikato community page.
There were reportedly several thousand people at the concert told to leave.
Concertgoers were asked to evacuate Claudelands Oval a few minutes before the scheduled end of tonight's Simple Minds concert. Photo: Supplied / Jonathan Hall
Concert-goer Jonathan Hall told RNZ it was a shame the event ended early.
He said a security guard came onstage and told crowds to evacuate at about 6.25pm - five minutes before the show was scheduled to end.
Hall said the crowd seemed calm, but he was disappointed headline act Simple Mind's last song was cut short.
"Many of them would have gone to listen to Simple Minds and that was probably a bit of a fan favourite, the last song," he said.
"The last song's usually the one that is a lot of fun and gets people going and it goes off with a bang so it sort of just seemed to fall a bit flat."
Hall said he was unsure why the concert could not continue for a few more minutes, but said it was a good event overall.
Greenstone Entertainment, the organiser of Summer Concert, said the event at Claudelands Oval ended ten minutes early because of thunder and lightning.
RNZ staff member Anastasia Hedge, who was at the concert, said audience members were told to take down all tents and umbrellas during the show due to high wind warnings.
Simple Minds were performing their hit song 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' when the concert was abruptly ended, she said.
The Simple Minds concert at Claudelands Oval in Hamilton was evacuated early due to thunder and lightning, the organiser said. Photo: Supplied / Jonathan Hall
Some attendees voiced concern about the weather on social media earlier today, but were reassured by Greenstone Entertainment that the event would go ahead.
The company commented that the concert would only be cancelled if the conditions were considered dangerous by organisers.
Simple Minds had performed in Taupō on Saturday.
The rain-out comes one year after Elton John was forced to abandon a concert in Auckland during the Anniversary Weekend flooding.
Meanwhile, flooding, debris and slips were making driving conditions treacherous on State Highway 3 north of New Plymouth on Sunday evening.
Waka Kotahi said contractors were on their way to assess State Highway 3 between Awakino and Mahoenui and drivers were advised to take extra care in the area.
Earlier, MetService upgraded a heavy rain watch to an orange warning for parts of the central North Island.
MetService meteorologist Heath Gullery said while the heavy rain and thunderstorms had passed over the central North Island, Bay of Plenty could still be in for downpours and flooding overnight.
He said heavy rain warnings remained in place for inland Bay of Plenty, including the eastern ranges.
"There's still potential for thunderstorms and localised downpours and flooding across the Bay of Plenty tonight and in the east overnight."
People in the central North Island should also continue to take care around rivers and streams, Gullery said, as they could continue to rise for several hours after rainfall.
Meanwhile, a slow-moving front is set to bring rain to the Westland District.
The heavy rain watch is still in place for Westland District south of Franz Josef and North Taranaki including the Mountain/Taranaki Maunga until 9pm Sunday.
Thunderstorms may also hit in those regions, with rainfall amounts possibly reaching warning criteria in localised places, MetService said.
The heavy rain watch for Fiordland has been lifted as conditions eased there on Sunday morning.