Weather: Heavy rain, possible thunderstorms, for most of New Zealand on Monday

It may be summer but large parts of the country will get rain on Monday, according to MetService.

It has issued a severe weather watch - warning of periods of heavy rain and possible thunderstorms - for the upper North Island including Northland, Auckland, and also the Grey district in the South Island.

Meteorologist Luis Fernandes said large parts of the country are forecast to get some rain on Monday, with a weather system that is “fairly typical” for this time of year.

For the upper North Island, a low skimming to the north of the country is bringing down warm, humid air from the more tropical areas, resulting in widespread rain, with the possibility of heavy falls, he said.

Predicted rainfall for Monday at 1pm. MetService has issued a heavy rain watch for Grey district and the upper North Island including Auckland and Northland. Photo / Windy.com

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A heavy rain watch is now in place on Monday for Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island, and Coromandel Peninsula from 3am to 6pm, and for Bay of Plenty including Rotorua from 8am to 6pm.

This predicts periods of heavy rain, with thunderstorms and localised downpours possible, and a moderate chance of the need to upgrade to a warning.

Fernandes said the thunderstorms can be quite localised and it can be hard to predict where the heavy downpours will hit.

The upper North Island will be “muggy, warm, and humid” warm on Monday, with temperatures in the mid-20s for most places and Hawke’s Bay getting hot with 28C to 30C predicted.

The South Island is also set to get rain on Sunday and Monday.

A heavy rain watch has been issued for the Grey district and the Paparoa Range, with the heavy rain and possible thunderstorms set to hit from 6pm Sunday to 8am Monday.

MetService has issued heavy rain watches for the upper North Island and Grey district.

Fernandes said the South Island will also be hit by a fast-moving cold front, moving up the island from Monday morning.

This front will have reached the upper South Island by Monday evening, delivering cooler air and showers or rain to much of the island, he said.

“By late tomorrow, there will be a fairly sharp drop in temperatures and it will also be quite wet for some areas in the south and east [of the South Island].”

The rain is first expected to hit Southland, Fiordland and Clutha on Monday morning, before showers and some thunderstorms move into Otago and Canterbury.

This will be good news for firefighters, with Fire and Emergency crews battling multiple scrub fires in these regions this month.

Fernandes said while the rain will not be long-lived, the rain and drop in temperatures will be a help to firefighters in these areas.

MetService heavy rain watch

MetService’s severe weather watch issued at 10am Sunday is for a heavy rain watch for these areas:

• Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island and Coromandel Peninsula: 3am Monday to 6pm Monday. Periods of heavy rain, with thunderstorms and localised downpours possible. Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria.
• Bay of Plenty and Rotorua: 8am Monday to 6pm Monday. Periods of heavy rain, with thunderstorms and localised downpours possible. Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria.
• The Grey district and the Paparoa Range: 6pm Sunday to 8am Monday, Heavy rain, with possible thunderstorms. Amounts may approach warning criteria.

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.