After devastating week of weather for North Island, Auckland Anniversary weather set to play role in rescue efforts. Video / Claudia Tarrant
Severe weather will continue to batter the North Island, while Aucklanders can expect a soggy long weekend.
Strong wind watches have been placed on parts of the top of the North Island, including Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato north of Hamilton and Bay of Plenty aboutand north of Tauranga, starting at noon and lasting for five hours.
Gisborne, north of Tolaga Bay, also has a strong wind watch starting at noon, but this will end at 6pm.
MetService meteorologist Michael Pawley told the Herald a region of instability has been moving up the South Island and will cause the strong gusts, but more severe weather could be dragged along as well.
“Before dawn and in the morning there’s a risk of some thunderstorms for the lower part of the North Island, certainly in the west, going up through Taranaki into the Waikato and these thunderstorms could be gusty because they’re fast-moving.
“Into the afternoon, those thunderstorms will be passing further across the North Island. We’re seeing gusts of around 100km/h as those go through.”
Auckland could be in for a wet and windy long weekend. Photo /Hayden Woodward.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi has warned motorists strong wind gusts may impact travel on the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
“Motorists are advised to drive to the conditions and pay attention to electronic message boards on the motorway, which will advise if any lane closures and reduced speed limits are required,” an NZTA spokesperson said.
Severe weather has caused widespread devastation across the North Island, including in the Waioweka Gorge, SH2. Photo / NZTA
“The centre of that low pressure has moved off to the east of the country and because you’ve got winds going cyclonically around the low as it moves past, that directs the southwesterlies over the country.”
He said high pressure building over the Tasman squeezes the winds between the two systems, resulting in strong winds to end the week.
Showers and thunderstorms will accompany these winds, but Pawley believes they should move on quickly.
Locals from Tairua clean up a land slip following the recent storm that struck New Zealand's North Island. Photo / Corey Fleming
Despite no widespread warning for rain on Sunday and Monday, Aucklanders can expect to have their long weekend dampened by rain.
“Monday’s looking a little bit showery, certainly less than the rest of the weekend and with these westerlies, that’s mainly for western regions, so heading east usually means you get less showers.”
However, Pawley reminded anyone heading in that direction to be mindful of those areas due to severe damage from recent rain.
