Some Kiwis could be experiencing a wet and wild Easter Sunday with thunderstorms expected and the chance of a small tornado.
MetService said a "large, complex trough of low pressure" is moving eastwards over the Tasman Sea and is expected to reach New Zealand on Sunday afternoon.
The forecaster updated its weather warnings and watches on Sunday morning with Mount Taranaki and Tasman District northwest of Motueka all under an orange heavy rain watch.
"Heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. Surface flooding and slips are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous," MetService said.
The warning for Tasman, which is in place until 12pm on Tuesday, is expected to bring 120mm of rain from Sunday evening through to early Monday evening, mainly about the ranges.
The Mount Taranaki warning, which is in place until 4am on Monday, is expected to bring 100mm of rain.
A heavy rain watch has also been issued for the Bay of Plenty ranges east of Opotiki, Tararua Range, the Richmond Range including the Rai Valley and Westland from around Otira southwards.
MetService said the Bay of Plenty and the Richmond Range will all see periods of heavy rain with possible thunderstorms.
The forecaster said the heavy rain warning for Gisborne and the Wairoa District of Hawke's Bay has eased.
But that's not the end of the bad weather, with the forecaster warning of potential thunderstorms, tornados and hail for large parts of the North Island.
MetService said there is a "moderate risk" of thunderstorms affecting Northland and Auckland from mid or late afternoon on Sunday.
It's then expected to move south and approach Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui and North Taranaki from Sunday evening.
Then later on Sunday night, the Bay of Plenty, Rotorua and Taupo will all be in the firing line.
"These thunderstorms are expected to be quite squally, with localised heavy rain of 10-25mm/h (or possibly higher in a few places), hail, and wind gusts of 90-100km/h as shown on the chart," MetService said.
"There is also the chance of one or two small tornadoes. If any tornadoes do occur, they are expected to be small and localised."
But not all of New Zealand is expected to have bad weather on Sunday, with the east coast of the South Island and the far south the places to be.
These areas should see a cloudy and overcast day but overall it'll be mainly fine, with Queenstown, Invercargill and Stewart Island the pick of the bunch, all expecting a beautiful sunny Sunday.
The latest weather warnings and watches come after officials were placed on standby as heavy rain battered the North Island's East Coast over the long weekend.
This saw isolated communities restocked with emergency supplies and State Highway Two at Devil's Elbow was closed as a precaution.
