Heavy rain from Cyclone Hale has already begun to fall and southwest winds are already picking up in the North Island, with more wind and rain on the way.
It comes after the amount of rain overnight reached "significant" levels, according to MetService.
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"Pinnacles, which is a station up in the ranges of the Coromandel Peninsula...since 3pm yesterday afternoon they've had 163mm," meteorologist Peter Little said.
"Some of the ranges up in Gisborne as well, the rain started at a similar time...a few stations up in the ranges have had 83mm.
"Whitianga Aerodrome has had 82mm, that's quite a lot down at low levels.
"So certainly the rainfall is starting to pick up and there's a lot more to come as well," he added.
Heavy rain warnings are in place for Northland south of the Bay of Islands and Auckland including Great Barrier Island until 7pm tonight, Coromandel Peninsula until 2am tomorrow, Gisborne until 4am tomorrow, Hawke's Bay from 3pm today to 9am tomorrow, the eastern hills and ranges of Wairarapa from 9pm tonight to 9pm tomorrow and Tararua Range from 8pm tonight until 10pm tomorrow.
Heavy rain watches are in place for central North Island hills and mountains, especially about and south of Tongariro National Park, from 7pm tonight to 10pm tomorrow, Mount Taranaki from 11pm tonight to 11pm tomorrow, and Marlborough and Canterbury coast from Cape Campbell to Kaikoura and the Seaward Kaikoura Range from 5am tomorrow to 1am Thursday.
"The rain is expected to last most of the day so it's just a matter of referring to those warnings," Little said.
He added that people need to be careful on the roads in affected areas, as surface flooding is likely, and high-sided vehicles in particular need to be mindful that the rising winds "could push them around a bit".
A strong wind warning is in place for Bay of Plenty east of Murupara to Opotiki from 1pm to 8pm today.
Strong wind watches are in place for Coromandel Peninsula and Great Barrier Island until 11pm today, Auckland (excluding Great Barrier Island) and Waikato in the lee of the Kaimai Range from 11am today to 1am tomorrow, Eastern Taupō from 2pm today to 5am tomorrow, and Southern Taranaki, coastal Whanganui, Manawatu (especially near the Gorge), Horowhenua, Kapiti and Wellington from 3am tomorrow to 2am Thursday.
MetService warn "more areas could be added as the system moves closer and its exact track and intensity become more certain".
"This is likely to be a significant adverse weather event with widespread effects," the forecaster's website reads.
"Cyclone Hale is approaching the North Island and should lie near the Hauraki Gulf early Wednesday morning.
"The cyclone should move off to the southeast late Wednesday."
Thames-Coromandel District Council is advising people to "take great care on the roads today".
"Cyclone Hale has slowed somewhat overnight but is still tracking with full force directly onto the Coromandel, bringing rain and strong east to southeast winds to many areas."
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