It's "batten down the hatches" time again for Northland as severe weather later today is expected to dump up to 100mm of rain and wind gusts of 100km/h in eastern parts of the region.
MetService has warned that the present weather system has all the hallmarks of the remnants of Cyclone Lusi which struck Northland slightly more than a month ago.
Two main weather systems, one laying to the west of New Zealand and the other moving across the Tasman Sea, will gather strength later tonight, with the worst to hit Northland tomorrow morning.
MetService said although the low moving across the Tasman Sea was the aftermath of Cyclone Ita (which swept through northern Queensland last week), its characteristics were different which was why it was described as a "sub-tropical low".
Weather forecaster Dan Corbett said rain would become persistent overnight today before north-easterly winds strengthened along Northland's eastern coast tomorrow morning.