"The fairly widespread and persistent rain has eased off now, but it's still very gray and drizzly here."
While the rain will move northwards this afternoon, it will likely continue into the evening for higher parts like the Tararuas.
A heavy rain warning remains in place for Wellington until 5pm Thursday.
Meanwhile the big dry has eased slightly in Auckland and the far north after a low pressure system brought much needed rain on Thursday.
Aucklanders can expect another few hours of rain before it clears this evening, Hines said.
The highest rainfall in the parched city was recorded at a station in Opanuku, west of Henderson, where 47.4ml of rain fell.
But it won't be enough to build back up Auckland's dam levels, which on Thursday sat at 43 per cent, well below the historical average of 78 per cent for this time last year.
"It is a step in the right direction, but the overall water storage issues have been many months in the making," Hines said.
"So while every bit helps, it's certainly not enough to be enough to get back to where we need to be yet."
The Bay Of Plenty, Central North Island and Wellington regions are set to have heavy rain fall in these areas, receiving the lion's share of the rain.
While the heaviest rainfall is expected to hit the Bay of Plenty on Thursday evening and Friday, the heavy rain warning for areas including Rotorua and the Gisborne ranges will remain until 1am Saturday morning.
The worst of the heavy rain has hit Mt Taranaki, where a heavy rain warning was in place until 3pm Thursday, but more rainfall is expected in the area, Hines said.
A heavy rain watch has also been issued for the Bay of Plenty and Taupō, after a low which developed in the northwest of Taranaki overnight deepened and has hovered around the central parts of the country today and Friday, bringing periods of heavy rain.
These downpours are expected in Rotorua and Bay of Plenty with a watch in place from 9pm Thursday through to midnight Saturday.
Taupō can expect the same weather from 8pm Thursday to 9am Friday.
Another heavy rain watch is in place for the South Island, where Northern Canterbury and the coastal parts of Marlborough will see heavy rainfall on Thursday evening and Friday.
Good news for skiers - snow up to 600m is expected to fall overnight and tomorrow morning around Wanaka.
Snow is also expected to fall tonight and tomorrow morning in parts of the Canterbury high country, the Kaikōura ranges and on the north east of the South Island.
The Kaikōura coast will also see some decent rainfall overnight on Thursday into Friday morning.
A southerly airflow with rain is expected about the Nelson/Tasman and Canterbury, moving northwards in the east.
Looking towards the weekend, patches of rain are expected to continue through the northern and eastern parts of North Island.
A grey, rainy weekend awaits those living on the east coast of the Coromandel, including eastern areas such as Gisborne, Hawke's Bay and the Wairarapa.
