“Driving conditions will also be hazardous with surface flooding and poor visibility in heavy rain.”
The watch covers Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Waitomo, and Taranaki.
Amid the warnings, Auckland Emergency Management has warned those in the Auckland region to be prepared for impacts of the pending weather.
Severe thunderstorms could hit the region from 5pm today through to 6am Tuesday.
“It’s important to be prepared this includes checking your drains and gutters to ensure they aren’t blocked. As we come to the end of autumn there is still a lot of leaf fall so cleaning these up before they cause blockages is essential.”
Heavy rain and strong winds have been hitting many parts of the South Island and central North Island overnight, although the weather in these areas looks to be improving.
MetService has just lifted multiple heavy rain and strong wind watches and warnings, advising risk of severe gales in places like Wellington and Marlborough has now eased.
The west coast of the South Island took the brunt of the bad weather last night and in the early hours of this morning.
A front, swept in from the Tasman Sea, is bringing rain this morning to Taranaki and the Kāpiti Coast, particularly around the ranges where weather watches remain in place.
“As morning turns to evening, rain will spread elsewhere, falling in many parts of the North Island,” MetService said.
“Temperatures will be noticeably warmer, mixed with this wet weather and you can expect some more humid conditions for the week.”
Northland has a heavy rain watch in place for 12 hours from 5pm, advising there may be periods of heavy rain with possible downpours.
“Amounts may approach warning criteria and possibly exceed them about localised areas, especially in downpours,” the watch notice said.
“Note, a severe thunderstorms watch is also in place for Northland.”
There was a moderate chance this could be upgraded to a warning.
In the past 12 hours there had been “notable” rain accumulations, including 129mm at Arthur’s Pass, 115.2mm at Paradise Peak, and 68.8mm at Westport.
“Although conditions are expected to improve in most parts of the South Island, people should still follow advice from their local authorities about safety precautions,” MetService said.
Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.
