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• Strong wind and heavy rain alerts have been issued for northern regions, including Northland. 
• Auckland faces a heavy rain watch from 6am, with possible thunderstorms and localised downpours. 
• Conditions are expected to improve over the weekend, with fine and mild weather forecast. 

Severe thunderstorm alerts have been issued for the top half of the North Island, including Auckland, with downpours and flooding possible across the day. 

Strong wind and heavy rain alerts are also in place for storm-battered regions today, while there are slip concerns in the south. 

A significant weather shift is expected with increasing cloud cover, blustery northeast winds and more widespread rainfall across much of the North Island, MetService said. 

MetService issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua and Taranaki this morning, alongside an existing alert for Northland, lasting until 11pm. 

“There is a moderate risk of localised downpours of 25 to 40 mm/h,” MetService said. 

“Rainfall of this intensity can cause surface and flash flooding, especially about low-lying areas such as streams, rivers or narrow valleys, and may also lead to slips.” 

State of emergency extended 

Meanwhile, Christchurch City Council controller Helen White said the state of emergency in Banks Peninsula had been extended in preparation for the rain forecast today and while the land remained saturated. 

White said there was potential for more slips. 

“We also know that rain may impact the slip at Lighthouse Rd.” 

Monitoring equipment would enable the council to make more informed decisions for residents in the primary and secondary evacuation zones, White said. 

Meanwhile, it will be a sodden commute for Aucklanders heading to work today. A heavy rain watch is in place from 6am for 12 hours, with possible thunderstorms throughout the day. 

MetService forecaster Mmathapelo Makgabutlane told the Herald “the wettest of that rain looks like it’s more like mid-morning to the middle of the day, maybe into early afternoon” for Auckland. 

“Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria and possibly exceed them about isolated areas, especially in localised downpours,” MetService reported on its website. 

Makgabutlane said today “looks like a pretty wet day for many parts of the North Island. I‘d say as the day goes on, things become wetter”. 

The rain forecast map for 9am today. Image / MetService 

“Thunderstorms look possible, especially for places like Northland, and then down the western part of the South Island as well, especially in the morning,” she said. 

“The main thing to highlight is the possibility of downpours, those short periods where the rainfall becomes quite intense and dumps quite a lot of rain in a very short space of time.” 

This could cause surface flooding, Makgabutlane said. 

The state of emergency for Banks Peninsula will be reassessed on Saturday. 

Heavy orange rain warnings across NZ 

MetService is encouraging people to keep a close eye on the forecast as things develop. 

The following severe weather alerts have been issued for the next 24-36 hours: 

• Northland. 3am-5pm Friday. Northland could expect up to 150mm of rain in localised areas, especially in downpours and possible thunderstorms. A severe thunderstorm watch is also in force for the region. 
• Bay of Plenty about and east of Whakatāne and Gisborne/Tairāwhiti north of Ruatoria. 3pm Friday to 3am Saturday. Expect 100-140mm of rain, mainly about the ranges. 
• Tongariro National Park. 8am-8pm Friday. Expect 80-120mm of rain. 
• Mount Taranaki/Taranaki Maunga. Midnight Thursday to 3pm Friday. Expect 150-250mm of rain. 
• Westland District ranges. 9am Thursday to 6am Friday. Expect 140-180mm of rain in addition to what has already fallen. 
• Headwaters of South Canterbury lakes and rivers. 10pm Thursday to 7am Friday. Expect 100-130mm of rain about the Main Divide and 70-100mm within 15km further east. Peak rates of 15-25mm/h are expected about the divide.  

Things set to clear for Mother’s Day weekend 

Despite the unsettled end to the week, conditions are forecast to improve over the weekend with fine and mild weather expected across most of the country. 

Makgabutlane said this bad weather is “looking fairly relatively short-lived, so by Saturday morning all this weather looks like it’s cleared off the country and the weekend is looking pretty good”. 

MetService said Mother’s Day is shaping up to be settled and sunny for most, though some regions may experience morning cloud or fog.