Auckland boaties are being warned to check their moorings as the MetService issues a severe weather outlook, with gale force winds on the way tomorrow.

"I have this absolute fear of nuclear energy. Whenever I've been overseas and driven near a nuclear reactor I've been worried. But I can't really explain why," writes Philip Duncan.

The unsettled and relatively mild weather is continuing across New Zealand this week with more severe weather in the forecast, writes Philip Duncan.

This week is literally ending on a high, but all is about to change as the weather reminds us that winter isn’t all about frosty mornings and beautiful blue dome days.

Grey skies are expected to turn to sunshine this week as a high bigger than Australia settles over NZ.

MetService has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the top half of the North Island.

Queens Birthday weekend is almost upon us and the forecast, predictably, looks changeable.

Rapidly rising floodwaters last night forced Bay of Plenty residents from their homes and trapped motorists.

Heavy rain has caused widespread flooding in Auckland, Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty with one family trapped in their car having to be rescued by firefighters.

The rain has stopped falling in flood stricken Otago and Hawkes Bay, but the regions face a big, expensive cleanup.

A large landslip swept through a campground where up to 42 people were sleeping in flood-stricken Central Otago early today.

Further flooding is possible for the South Island's sodden Waitaki district, where 1000 people remain without drinking water.

The eastern Bay of Plenty is in for a dose of heavy rain tonight while the south gets a respite.

Torrential rain has flooded homes overnight in the Bay of Plenty, sparking evacuations and more than 20 callouts to emergency services.

Emergency and Civil Defence teams were gearing up last night for a weather beating expected to hit within hours.

Are parts of New Zealand about to go under water?

Heavy rain and gales are expected to lash the main islands from tonight, with the MetService warning of one of the "bigger weather events" for some time.

Don't put the umbrellas away just yet. A storm bringing more heavy rain and winds is on its way to parts of the North Island.