Heavy rain continues to move across North Island, South Island to get rain from tonight

Heavy rain will continue to hit the northern North Island into Friday morning as a front moves eastwards.

The eastern ranges of the Bay of Plenty are expected to get the heaviest rainfall, with an orange heavy rain warning in place until late tomorrow morning.

Earlier today, heavy rain watches were in place for Northland, Auckland, and Waikato as wet weather moved across the regions.

River levels were running high in Auckland’s Taupaki and were rising in Kumeū and Waimauku, Kumeū Emergency Network said.

“There will be some movement into the flood plain of Pinotage and Rheingold of Huapai, and low-lying areas will be ponding.

“Limited road flooding is possible in the river valley”, it said.

MetService meteorologist Oscar Shiviti told the Herald most of the North Island should expect showers or rain to persist for most of the day.

“The only exception is places like Wellington, which seem to have escaped the wet conditions for today.”

Another front is expected to move northwards over the lower South Island tonight.

Shiviti said it is expected to impact mostly the western half of the island before moving north through the day tomorrow.

“Places like Westland, Grey and Buller through the day tomorrow might have a period of brief heavy falls.”

The eastern half of the South Island may also have scattered rain, but not as severe as in the west, he said.

Weather watches and warnings

An orange heavy rain warning is in place for the eastern ranges of Bay of Plenty and the ranges of Gisborne/Tairāwhiti until 10am tomorrow.

The east coast of the middle to upper North Island is under a slew of heavy rain watches.

Watches and warnings in place in the North Island. Photo / MetService

The Bay of Plenty is under a heavy rain watch until 2am tomorrow.

Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula is under a heavy rain watch until 7pm tonight.

Shiviti said the rain accumulations in the Coromandel and Great Barrier Island could meet warning criteria.

In the South Island, the headwaters of the Otago lakes and rivers are under a heavy rain watch until 5am tomorrow.

Road snowfall warnings are in place on Milford Rd from 3-10am tomorrow and Crown Range Rd from 3-9am tomorrow.