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New Zealand

Your weather: Rain, power outages in the north and hot in the south for your Christmas Day

4 minutes to read
NZ Herald

A Tasman storm continues to lash the North Island with rain while parts of Auckland are spending their Christmas Day without power.

A Tasman low battered much of the upper North Island yesterday with torrential rain causing flooding and mayhem on some roads.

Parts of Kaipara, Muriwai, Warkworth and Upper Waiwera had reported power outages Tuesday morning.

According to Vector, power was expected to be restored during the afternoon.

Auckland Airport had its wettest Christmas Eve and third wettest December day on record, receiving 63.8mm of rain.

Parts of Auckland received up to 95mm of rain in the past 18 hours. From about 9pm to 10pm yesterday there was a particularly heavy downpour of about 20mm.

Isolated parts of the Bay of Plenty were inundated with more than 100mm of rain in the past 18 hours.

Waihi Beach was hit particularly hard. Heavy rain yesterday caused flooding and forced 150 campers to be evacuated from the holiday park.

MetService meteorologist Stephen Glassey said the rain band was currently stretching from Taranaki to Gisborne and moving south.

Behind it was an "unstable air mass", with the potential for showers, thunderstorms and hail possible.

That meant Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty and parts of Waikato would get some showers today, possible heavy in the afternoon, and temperatures in the low to mid 20s.

Heavy rain warnings overnight for Northland and Coromandel had ended, but a warning was still out for the Bay Of Plenty, including Rotorua, and Gisborne from Tolaga Bay northwards to 10am.

The lower North Island down to Christchurch can expect some showers and rain spreading south during the day.

Rain is in store for much of the North Island through the day today. Photo / File
Rain is in store for much of the North Island through the day today. Photo / File

The South Island south of Christchurch is set to bask in glorious barbecue weather for Christmas Day, with fine, dry weather and temperatures cracking 30C.

From tomorrow, a low would start moving east as a ridge built over the country, bringing a period of more settled weather.

Boxing Day in the upper North Island was looking mostly fine with temperatures in the mid-20s.

The South Island was in for a cloudy day in the east but fine in the west.

Thursday is looking fine in the west of the North Island with just a few showers expected in the ranges in the east, while the South Island would see some showers on the West Coast.

Friday was looking good for most of the country with just some scattered rain.

Today's weather

Whangārei: Showers, some heavy and possibly thundery, easing evening with fresh southwest change. 24C high, 17C overnight.

Auckland: Fine spells. Showers from afternoon, some heavy and possibly thundery, easing evening with fresh southwest change. 23C high, 17C overnight.

Hamilton: Showers, some heavy and possibly thundery, clearing at night. Northeasterlies dying out evening. 23C high, 15C overnight.

Tauranga: Morning rain then showers. Heavy at times, with possible thunderstorms. Fresh northerlies easing. 23C high, 17C overnight.

New Plymouth Rain turning to showers morning, some heavy and possibly thundery, then easing evening. Winds turning southwesterly. 22C high, 15C overnight.

Napier: Morning rain, then showers, possibly heavy and thundery. Northeasterlies dying out afternoon. 25C high, 16C overnight.

Whanganui: Rain turning to showers afternoon and winds turning southwest. 24C high, 16C overnight.

Wellington Rain. Southerly breezes. 21C high, 15C overnight.

Nelson: Rain, clearing this evening. Southerlies dying out. 21C high, 14C overnight.

Christchurch: A cloudy day, but afternoon fine breaks. Chance light rain in the morning. Northeast winds, then lighter southerlies from evening. 20C high, 12C overnight.

Dunedin: Mainly fine, morning and evening cloud. Northeast winds, evening southerly. 24C high, 11C overnight.