Monster storm: What you need to know

• Follow all the latest news and updates of the weather here
• Most of northern and central New Zealand will be affected by the storm.
• Civil Defence in affected regions are on high alert.
• Gale-force winds of up to 120km/h will blast the upper North Island for up to 25 hours straight.
• The worst rain is expected in Northland, Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, Mt Taranaki, northern Gisborne, Marlborough and Nelson.
• Heavy rain is due to get increasingly worse across the day. Up to 200mm is forecast to fall on Mt Taranaki.
•Towering waves higher than 6m will begin slamming into the Far North coastline later tonight.
• Much of the North Island coastline is under threat of coastal flooding and erosion.
• Beachfront communities have been warned to prepare to evacuate to higher ground.
• Campers are being evacuated from riverside camping spots in the Coromandel Peninsula and at Piha on Auckland's West Coast.
• A main Auckland waterfront road was closed for nearly an hour after a king tide made it impassable to traffic.
• Power authorities are on standby for widespread damage.