Auckland, you're next for heavy rain, gusty winds - Niwa's warning

Forecasters have warned that Auckland will not escape the wintry blast, with heavy rain and strong gusty winds a possibility.

Parts of New Zealand have been struck with ferocious winds, snow, ice and rain with morning, but Auckland this morning got off relatively lightly.

But that's about to change, says the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa).

Auckland - you're next! Heavy rain and strong, gusty winds moving in over the next hour. pic.twitter.com/KtcFpArnrt

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) July 13, 2017

MetService meteorologist Tom Adams says: "There is a band of rain moving up to Auckland, although it is not the same wind as Wellington or the same snow as the central North Island."

"Conditions are worsening. There's a band of rain going to move through in the next hour or so," he said just after 12.30pm.

"The winds will be picking up. It's a brisk southwesterly going through at the moment. There is a wind watch for Auckland and Northland for this evening and the winds are picking up before that.

"We're seeing gusts now of 65km/h at the airport. They will pick up through the evening.

"There will be some pretty sharp showers over the next couple of hours, and some more after that."

The temperature was 10C in Auckland, which was the predicted high for the day.

And although 10C can feel pretty nippy, especially in a wind, it's too warm for snow or even sleet.

"That was never suggested for Auckland," Adams said.