Weather: Northland dodges worst of storm overnight Thursday

Rain and strong winds hit Northland overnight on Thursday but the region has survived relatively unscathed, with no road closures and just a handful of power cuts.

The stormy conditions first hit the top of Te Tai Tokerau on Thursday morning, with strong winds battering the area.

MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said winds peaked at Cape Reinga at 100km/h on Thursday morning.

The strong winds continued throughout Thursday, with overnight gusts of 90km/h at Cape Reinga, 76km/h at Kaikohe and 74km/h at Whangārei.

Heavy rain hit Northland overnight, with around 40mm to 60mm falling from 8pm Thursday to 8am Friday, Makgabutlane said.

Over this 12-hour period, Kerikeri recorded 57mm of rain, Whangārei’s Glenbervie Forest 53mm, Kaikohe 45mm, Kaitāia 40mm and central Whangārei 33mm.

There were high-intensity periods, Makgabutlane said, with more than 23mm falling in one hour, between 2am and 3am, south of Kaitāia.

“That is quite a lot of rain in a short space of time.”

However, the region ended up relatively unscathed, with Northland’s three district councils reporting no road closures on Friday morning,

Northpower has also said there are no power cuts in its area of Whangārei and Kaipara. However, eight Top Energy customers on Puha Rd, State Highway 12, are without power.

A Northland Fire and Emergency spokesperson said there were no fire or emergency callouts since 6pm yesterday.

Makgabutlane said the worst of the weather is now over for Northland, with the risk of thunderstorms now moved off the region.

The rest of Friday is forecast for some rain and showers, she said.

Rain and strong winds have hit Northland but there are no road closures in the region. Photo / NZME

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.