Take a deep breath when the rain stops, as a bigger system is on the way now, with the already soaking northern areas being the first to hit it.
MetService has issued a severe weather warning for seven areas of Aotearoa, which are expected to be the hardest hit by what is expected to rain late Thursday and on a particularly wet Friday.
A deep low, associated with fronts and troughs, is expected to approach New Zealand from the northern Tasman Sea on Thursday and overland Friday, according to MetService.
Forecasters have issued a warning of heavy rain, saying Northland and Coromandel will bear the first brunt of the wet conditions.
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MetService predicts Northland could experience heavy rain with the possibility of thunderstorms for a 25-hour period from 11 a.m. Thursday to 12 a.m. Friday, with precipitation levels approaching warning criteria.
“This could be an important event, and people are advised to keep up to date with the latest predictions as parts of the watches are likely to be upgraded to alerts and more areas will likely be added to the watch or alert,” he said. MetService. †
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MetService predicts Northland could experience heavy rain with the possibility of thunderstorms over a 25-hour period from 11 a.m. Thursday.
MetService meteorologist Dan Corrigan said there had been a “decent dose” of between 55 and 70 millimeters of rain since Tuesday afternoon in areas east of Ōpōtiki and in Hicks Bay, while Northland had had up to 46mm of rain in the 24 hours until 6 o’clock on Wednesday – shot in Parapara northeast of Kaitaia.
Most of Northland and Auckland had had 30 to 45mm of rain in 24 hours.
Corrigan said Tuesday’s rainmaker would stick around and bring showers to the districts of the Far North before “wrapping” the new system building in the northern Tasman Sea.
That system would move down Northland, western areas of the North Island from Auckland to Taranaki, and Buller on the west coast on Thursday, before moving across Aotearoa on Friday.
“Friday looks like it’s going to be a wet day for everyone — it’s getting wet everywhere.”
Rain on Friday could exceed warning criteria in five regions, leading to five additional heavy rains.
Severe weather could hit the Bay of Plenty, including Rotorua and in the Gisborne mountain ranges north of Ruatoria, the area around Taranaki Maunga, Tasman west of Motueka, Buller and Westland, MetService said.
Corrigan said that once the low was established, it would generate potentially strong winds and lower temperatures.
This meant there was also a chance of heavy snowfall in the South Island highlands over the weekend, particularly on higher roads and passes.
Severe northwesterly storms are possible for exposed areas of Wellington, Horowhenua, Kāpiti Coast, Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay south of Hastings during Friday and Saturday and even exposed areas of Taranaki, Taihape and Bay of Plenty northwards.
MetService predicts precipitation amounts could exceed warning criteria Friday night in the Bay of Plenty, where periods of heavy rain are expected.
Most of the rain in the south is likely to be more persistent on the west coast, although many eastern areas of the South and North Islands will also experience a dollop of rain Friday.