More regions in the North Island are now under weather watches as Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle tracks slightly further to the east.
MetService now has Gisborne and Hawke's Bay also under a yellow heavy rain watch.
Gisborne's heavy rain watch is in place from 3pm this Sunday until 12pm on Tuesday.
"A period of significant heavy rain is possible from Sunday through to Tuesday. Rainfall amounts may reach 200 to 400 mm or more during this time, especially about the ranges," MetService said.
Hawke's Bay's heavy rain watch is in place from 6am on Monday until 6am on Wednesday.
"A period of significant heavy rain is possible from Monday through to early Wednesday. Rainfall amounts may reach 200 to 400 mm or more during this time, especially about the ranges."
Yellow heavy rain and strong wind watches are still in place for Northland, Auckland and Coromandel Peninsula.
Click here for MetService's latest severe weather watches.
The update comes as Gabrielle's track has shifted slightly east in this morning's weather model runs.
Meteorologist Chris Brandolino stressed that cyclones are "not a point, they're an area". (Source: Breakfast)
Chris Brandolino, NIWA's principal scientist for forecasting and media, told Breakfast: "There is a growing potential that the centre tracks a little bit farther east" but "it's not etched in stone".
"If that were to occur... that could be a little bit good news for Northland and Auckland," he said.
"But if that were to occur, that good news for some people could be bad news for others and that means areas farther east and south like the Bay of Plenty, like Gisborne, they could see more significant impacts than perhaps otherwise."
And Brandolino stressed that cyclones are "not a point, they're an area".
"Where the worst weather goes, there's going to be some real memorable impacts unfortunately," he said.
"We're talking a lot of rain; perhaps what would normally fall in a month, that amount may be double that, so we're talking 100 [to] 150mm of rain in say, a day or two.
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