Central and northern parts of Aotearoa have been warned again to expect torrential rain, as a low trough tracks down the motu.
Heavy rain watches have been issued in five regions for the next three days, just in time for another soaked school holiday weekend.
MetService issued the warnings on Friday morning, with the heaviest falls expected in Waiaua/Coromandel and Tairāwhiti/Gisborne - two regions hammered by several adverse weather events this year.
Inland and southern areas of Te Waipounamu/South Island should remain dry though, including Ōtākou/Otago and Murihiku/Southland.
The low-pressure system is currently sitting over Auckland.
Heavy Rain Watches
Heavy rain watches have been issued for:
- Waiaua / Coromandel - 3pm Friday to 6am Saturday
- Te Moana a Toi / Bay of Plenty - 9pm Friday to 10am Saturday
- Te Mātau a Māui / Hawke's Bay - 6am Saturday to 3pm Sunday
- Tairāwhiti / Gisborne - 3am to 4pm Saturday; and
- Whakatū / Nelson - 9pm Friday to 9pm Saturday
A MetService spokesperson told Newshub they'll be updating any weather warnings or watches at about 9pm tonight.
MetService has advised Kiwis to check their website for the latest forecasts, as any heavy rain watch could possibly be upgraded to a warning - especially in already-sodden regions.
Waka Kotahi urged motorists, especially in Tai Tokerau/Northland, to be mindful of hazardous driving conditions over the coming days
Bad weather can close roads at short notice, a spokesperson said.
They added more Kiwis are likely to be on the roads this weekend as it's school holidays, so it was crucial to increase following distance and watch out for flooding and debris.
It comes after NIWA said several regions expecting bad weather this weekend have already received a year's worth of rain in just six months.
On top of that, it coincides with the start of El Niño weather patterns - according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - hopefully bringing drier weather.
Te Tai Tokerau / Northland
Cape Rēinga has already received 21.2 millimetres of rain so far on Friday. Rain eases to isolated showers in the evening.
Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland
The supercity is not under any watches this weekend, but could receive downpours on Friday past midday. MetService says downpours might coincide with the evening commute.
Waiaua / Coromandel
Fifteen hours worth of rain are due to lash the region from 3pm Friday.
Te Moana a Toi / Bay of Plenty
Areas west of Whakatāne and Rotorua should escape the worst weather.
Te Mātau a Māui / Hawke's Bay
Areas north of Eskdale should be clear of the heaviest rain, but with its heavy rain watch lasting 33 hours it's not good news for the waterlogged region.
Tairāwhiti / Gisborne
Set to receive a short and sharp bout of downpours.
Whakatū / Nelson
Locations east of Mapua are forecast to get the brunt of the worst rain. Cloudy periods turn to scattered rain, and eventually turn heavy on Friday night.
Rest of the South
The remainer of Te Waipounamu/South Island is going to be fine, except inland areas might see frost, fog or light cloud cover in the mornings.
