Heavy rain which pummelled the South Island and lower North Island over the weekend has moved its way north, prompting Metservice on Sunday night to issue several warnings and watches for a number of main centres.
"A slow-moving front continues to affect the North Island tonight (Sunday) and Monday, bringing further periods of heavy rain to eastern and northern areas," Metservice said just after 8:40pm on Sunday.
Heavy Rain Warnings are in place for Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato, Bay of Plenty about and east of Whakatane, Gisborne, and Hawke's Bay north of Napier. They're all currently set to last until Monday evening, with up to 280mm of rain expected in Gisborne.
Metservice has Heavy Rain Watches in place for Auckland, including Great Barrier Island, Bay of Plenty west of Whakatane, including Rotorua, and Hawke's Bay south of Napier. The weather forecaster says those areas may see rainfall approaching warning levels.
NZHerald reports Fire and Emergency NZ had 27 weather-related call-outs overnight in the Auckland, Waikato and Northland regions related to trees coming down and flooding. They were all minor incidents, with no reports of injuries or evacuations.
Police said on Monday morning that trees and power lines were down over State Highway 29 near Ngahinapouri in the Waipa District of Waikato. Both lanes are blocked. Diversions are in place and motorists are advised to avoid the area until the road is cleared.
Vector's outage website shows a number of power outages across Auckland, including at Piha, Parau, and Henderson.
"There are a variety of reasons why outages happen," the website says.
On Sunday, heavy rain in Taranaki forced locals to self-evacuate, flooded farms and washed bridges away. A red warning of heavy rain for the region has since been lifted by Metservice.
On Twitter, the weather forecaster said 138mm of rain was recorded at Cape Egmont in just four hours between 6am and 10am on Sunday.
"This is truly exceptional rainfall for a station at sea level. For some perspective, this is the same amount of rainfall that New Plymouth would experience in a typical July across the entire month."
The South Taranaki District Council on Monday said rain was subsiding in the region, but flooding may still be present. It also said "significant damage" had been caused to the district's roading network, listing a number of roads affected.
At mid Parihaka Rd, a bridge was "overtopped with flood water", while slips were blocking some roads.
The front is expected to ease on Tuesday, Metservice says, but there could still be heavy rain in some central and upper North Island regions.
"On Wednesday, another active front preceded by strong moist northerlies, approaches the South Island from the Tasman Sea. This front moves north across the South Island on Thursday and reach the lower North Island on Friday and is forecast to bring periods of heavy rain with it."
WeatherWatch says Monday will be mostly cloudy and wet for the upper and eastern North Island.
"A few heavy falls possible, Northland may see a thunderstorm this afternoon, winds coming in from the east. Wairarapa and in the southwest (Taranaki through to Wellington) can expect spits of rain or showers with east to southeasterly winds, rain moves into Taranaki this evening from the north, possibly heavy."
Nelson and Marlborough will also be cloudy with a "few spits of rain or showers" and east to south-easterly winds.
"Canterbury north of Banks Peninsula sees some sun this morning but then cloud thickens in the afternoon with a few light showers possible, clearing evening. South of Banks Peninsula expect morning low cloud or fog then some sun / high cloud."
Buller, which saw torrential rain last week, will experience a few more showers on Monday morning, WeatherWatch says, before those head to Greymouth in the afternoon.
"Elsewhere around the South Island has a mostly sunny day after morning low cloud or fog clears, a touch of high cloud during the day. Light winds, tending east to northeast down the east coast this afternoon."
