Train services were cut due to a weather-related safety event and ferry services for Rakino Island wouldn’t run until the weather eased on Sunday.
MetService issued an orange heavy rain warning for Northland, where up to 100mm of rain could fall in the next 15 hours to Saturday morning.
Up to 130mm could fall around Mt Taranaki over the next 18 hours until Saturday, where an orange heavy rain warning is also in place.
Upwards of 250mm of rain could fall about Nelson-Tasman and Marlborough over the next day to Saturday evening.
MetService updated its warnings this morning, saying streams and rivers could rise rapidly, and any deluge could cause surface flooding, slips and would make driving dangerous.
“Rain sticks around the through the weekend and into early next week, but snakes back and forth over western parts of both islands,” MetService meteorologist Andrew James said.
MetService earlier said an extremely large amount of rain was forecast for the western Tasman Ranges, with a total of 350-450mm of rain predicted up to midnight Saturday.
“These areas have seen a lot of rain recently. Further rain could cause significant impacts,” James said.
“Think rising rivers, slips and surface flooding, and people are urged to stay up to date in case these warnings are upgraded.”
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) said the atmospheric river, which has wrought a waterfall of rain on the country throughout this week, could clearly be seen in satellite images.
Niwa Weather said the heavy rain would be worst felt in Northland and Nelson-Tasman, where the chances more than 100mm of rain could fall were high.
“The risk for flooding and slips is likely increasing today where the heaviest rain occurs,” Niwa Weather said.
MetService said the tropical air which was bringing the rain also made for unusually warm and humid conditions for May.
“Several spots across the motu have even had their warmest May temperatures on record. These include Auckland, Hamilton, Whanganui and Queenstown,” MetService said.
