Heavy rain, thunderstorms to linger as wet weather seeps in to the weekend

Friday, 17 July 2020

Heavy rain is on the cards for many in the North Island this weekend. (File photo)

Heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to erupt over top of the country on Friday afternoon.

MetService is warning of heavy localised downpours and possible flash flooding for the very top of the North Island.

A heavy rain warning and a severe thunderstorm watch are place for Dargaville and to the north of Whangārei on Friday afternoon.

Earlier on Friday morning, Kerikei saw over 40mm of rain in one hour as thunderstorms sparked downpours in the area.

* Heavy rain and strong winds likely to lash the region

* State Highway 1 reopens as wet weather sets in across the South Island

The wet weather follows days of stormy chaos for the North Island, with trees brought down, roads closed and power cut to homes in the Coromandel.

Two men had to be rescued by firefighters overnight after they became trapped in a van in flood waters on a Waikato road.

A weak winter sun reflected in rain puddles. (File photo)

While in north Auckland’s Warkworth, a man was also rescued from the roof of his vehicle on Thursday after it was swept into a river.

On Friday, a heavy rain warning is in place for the north of Gisborne and about the ranges. This warning, and a heavy rain watch for the southern areas of Gisborne, would last into the early hours of Saturday morning.

Looking ahead to Saturday, MetService meteorologist Tahlia Crabtree said the worst of the weather was expected to ease, but rain would linger for parts of the country over the weekend, especially in the North Island.

Heavy rain will linger over Northland on Saturday. Moist easterlies will also continue to bring rain to eastern parts of the North Island, in particular in the Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay areas.

The South Island on the other hand is in for some slightly finer weather, especially on the West Coast. Drizzly showers are expected to linger around Canterbury, Marlborough and the Kaikōura Ranges on Saturday. While low cloud may also be seen in gullies and in the far south, Crabtree said.

Looking ahead to the main centres this weekend, Aucklanders can expect a cloudy day with some scattered showers on Saturday. A high of 17 degrees Celsius and low of 12C is forecast. The cloudy skies are expected to linger on Sunday, with a high of 17C and a low of 11C forecast.

More thunderstorms and heavy rain could also be on the cards for Northland, in particular the north of Whangārei on Saturday.

In Wellington, patchy rain is expected to clear into a fine day on Saturday. A high of 13C and low of 9C is forecast. On Sunday, patchy cloud is forecast with a high of 14C and low of 8C.

In Christchurch, cloud and occasional drizzle is expected on both Saturday and Sunday. A high of 11C and a low of 6C predicted on Saturday, and 12C and 5C on Sunday.

Those in Dunedin are in for a fine, sunny weekend. On Saturday, with a high of 10C and a low of 8C is predicted, while on Sunday, a high of 12C and a low of 4C is forecast.

Crabtree said the cloudy weather that’s been hovering over the South Island helps maintain heat, so overnight temperatures in some areas haven’t been particularly striking.