Storms may spring up out of the blue for Aucklanders and Northlanders on Easter Monday as the country reels from a weekend of wild weather.
A tornado targeted areas of east Auckland late on Sunday night. Although MetService now only has weather warnings in place for western and northern areas of the South Island and a small area of the North Island, there's still a threat of storms for Auckland and Northland.
"There are thunderstorms moving in from the Tasman Sea which are fairly spread out, but can bring briefly intense rain, hail, and gusty winds if one moves overhead," MetService tweeted.
Elsewhere in the North Island, a heavy rain warning with possible thunderstorms is in place for Mount Taranaki until 3pm on Monday. There's also a heavy rain watch for the Tararua Range until 6am on Wednesday. This long-range forecast predicts possible thunderstorms and heavy rain that may approach warning criteria.
With the storm now moving south, there are further warnings for Marlborough and Nelson to prepare for thunderstorms, heavy rain, and strong winds.
MetService said it's possible thunderstorms will be severe with localised downpours of 20-25mm/h, large hail, and small tornadoes.
"Rainfall of this intensity can cause surface and/or flash flooding, especially about low-lying areas such as streams, rivers or narrow valleys, and may also lead to slips," MetService said in its weather warning.
"The thunderstorms activity should ease by late afternoon but further thunderstorms are likely later today and tomorrow morning."
Also in Buller from around Seddonville southwards and Westland from Harihari northwards, a strong wind watch is in place until midday on Tuesday.
Earlier on Monday morning, MetService placed Westland, Tasman northwest of Motueka, and the Richmond and Bryant Ranges under orange heavy rain warnings.
A heavy rain watch was also issued for Buller. MetService said this area could see periods of downpours from 9am on Monday until at least 11pm on Tuesday.
But that might not be the end of the wild weather. MetService said there's a chance of heavy rain further down the South Island later this week.
"During Thursday and Friday, there is low confidence that warning amounts of rain will fall in eastern parts of the South Island from Canterbury to Clutha, with the heaviest rain more likely in the south of that area on Thursday and in the north on Friday," the forecaster said.
