Batten down the hatches Northland - strong winds and heavy rain forecast today and tomorrow

MetService is warning heavy rain and strong winds are expected to batter Northland today and tomorrow, likely leading to surface flooding and slips.

Northlanders need to batten down the hatches with strong winds and heavy rain expected for the region today and tomorrow.

The MetService has issued Orange Warnings for strong winds and heavy rains across Northland, with the possibility of surface flooding and slips with the region still sodden from an exceptionally wet July.

MetService said from around 9am on Wednesday Northeast gales are forecast to be severe at times, with gusts reaching 120 km/h in exposed places.

Strong wind gusts could damage trees, powerlines and unsecured structures. Driving may
be hazardous, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.
The warning runs until 11pm on Thursday.

In the 38 hours from 7pm Wednesday to 9am on Friday Northland can expect 140 to 200 mm of rain to accumulate, especially in the north and east.
There will be peak rainfall rates of 10 to 20 mm/h.

The heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. Surface flooding and slips are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous.

MetService said a complex trough of low pressure, preceded by a moist northerly flow, is expected to move onto New Zealand from the Tasman Sea today and become slow-moving. The trough is expected to move slowly eastwards across the county during Thursday and Friday.

This weather system is forecast to bring an extended period of northerly rain to northern and western parts of New Zealand, where Heavy Rain Warnings and Watches are in force.
In addition, gale to severe gale north to northeasterly winds will affect northern and central parts of New Zealand, and Strong Wind Warnings and Watches are in place.

This is expected to be a significant weather event, especially for places where soils are already saturated from recent rain. People are advised to keep up to date with the latest forecasts, as some other areas could be upgraded to a Red Warning, and more areas may be added.

The expected heavy rain comes with Northland still sodden from heavy rain so far over winter.

One of the wettest and warmest July months ever recorded in Northland has a climate scientist warning the region to get ready for "a new normal" of winter downpours coupled with summer droughts.

Data from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) shows it was overall New Zealand's wettest and fourth-warmest July on record, with five significant weather events between July 11 and 31 giving the nation a good soaking.

That will come as no surprise to Northlanders, who had to deal with sodden pastures, flooded highways, downed trees and roads wiped out by slips.

With a whopping 572mm of rain, Kerikeri was the second-wettest place in the country in July, beaten only by Aoraki-Mt Cook's 725mm.

That's almost three times Kerikeri's July average and the second-wettest since records began in 1935.
Kaitaia's 301mm, almost double the long-term average, was the town's third-highest July rainfall.