Break in stormy weather forecast for Tuesday relief for sodden northern regions

Geoff O'Sullivan's house was hit by a slip after heavy rain caused flash flooding in Huntly. Photo/ Doug Sherring

A Huntly resident whose house was hit by a landslide still doesn't know when he can return after the region was hit by a "once in 100 years" weather event on Sunday.

Wet weather has lashed parts of the North Island for the last two days but tomorrow should bring a slight reprieve.

Some showers were expected around the North Island, but they were not likely to be as heavy as the past few days, said MetService Meteorologist Claire Flynn.

No thunderstorms were predicted but a front approaching late in the day would mean heavy showers again overnight and into Wednesday.

"Most places will get rain at some stage," Flynn said.

On Wednesday rain would be coming from the west, Flynn said, meaning the east coast of both Islands would be spared the worst of it.

In Huntly, there could be "one or two" heavy showers but they would not be as heavy as yesterday's, she said.

That news will be a relief for Geoff O'Sullivan, whose Huntly home was about to go on the market when he heard an "almighty boom" on Sunday afternoon.

A mud slide had hit the back of the Riverview Rd property he'd lived in for the last 16 years.

On Monday, O'Sullivan and his family were staying with friends while temporary accommodation was being found as the house was still unstable.

Civil Defence weren't able to say when they could return but O'Sullivan said staff had been a huge support during the ordeal.

"They've been really helpful with the guidelines and what way we go. Especially because we don't know - this has never happened to us before."

Apart from a quick trip in and out to get some clothes O'Sullivan said he hadn't been allowed to re-enter his home.

"It's one of those things no one sees coming."

He was in the process of sorting out his insurance, but no one had been able to say yet what exactly caused the slip.

Huntly received 90 millimetres of rain over a two-hour period on Sunday, resulting in several slips on Riverview Rd.

"This was an extreme weather event," said Civil Defence local controller Merv Balloch.

"Usually you don't see this kind of weather more than once every 100 years."

O'Sullivan and his family would not be able to return to their homes until further assessments were carried out, Balloch said.

"Unfortunately it's currently too wet to undertake a thorough geotechnical assessment and it might be some time before it is sufficiently dry enough for the assessment to occur."

A stretch of road between 140 and 166 Riverview Rd would remain closed to the public until it was safe to clear, however residents would be allowed to enter, Waikato district Council said.