Twenty-three warnings and watches are in place across the country — including the flood-hit top of the South Island — as a frontal system is expected to move slowly across the country.
A pair of long, moisture-rich fronts are expected to move slowly across the country from late Monday into early Wednesday, bringing heavy rain, strong winds, and the risk of flooding and slips.
Heavy rain warnings were issued for the Coromandel Peninsula, the Bay of Plenty, Central North Island mountains, Taranaki Maunga, Tasman from Motueka westwards, Nelson City District and Marlborough (west of Havelock and north of the Wairau River), Tasman east and south of Motueka (excluding Nelson City District), the ranges of Westland District, the headwaters of Canterbury lakes and rivers, and the headwaters of Otago lakes and rivers.
Late on Monday, MetService issued an orange heavy rain warning for Auckland from 4am until 10pm on Tuesday. "Expect 90 to 130 mm of rain. Peak rates of 15 to 25 mm/h, but 25 to 40 mm/h possible in localised downpours during Tuesday afternoon and evening," said the warning, which included Great Barrier Island. A strong wind watch was also in place overnight Monday until 6pm on Tuesday,
The southeast of the Tasman region had a high chance of being upgraded to a red warning, MetService said.
"It's connecting to the subtropics, all that moisture, and then the fronts are going to pile their rain into parts of the country," 1News meteorologist Dan Corbett said.
"There's a kick of energy here that's going to really squeeze the moisture out, think of it like somebody taking their hands and squeezing it."
MetService meteorologist Alwyn Bakker advised extra attention for Tasman east and south of Motueka with a high chance of the warning being upgraded to a red level.
"Aside from Motueka township, this is the same region that was covered by a Red Warning back on July 11."
MetService meteorologist Heather Keats told Breakfast "very large, long, active fronts" were going to hit the country later tonight.
"So we've got really strong northeasterly start a little later today, in places like Northland and Auckland can expect gusts of around 90km/h tonight before that heavy rain starts to hit [a] few hours after the winds pick up."
She said "quite a large part of New Zealand" would be under watches and warnings for heavy rain and for strong winds, as "unsettled weather" impacted the country all week.
"Obviously the biggest concern is for the northern parts of the South Island, and we have put them under an orange heavy rain warning and understandable given the environment, and given what they've been through they’re still in recovery mode."
Keats said the rain for Tasman was “really going to start to ramp up” in the early hours of tomorrow morning.
'A bit of a hammering': Tasman to stand up Emergency Operations Centre
Tasman District Council said its hydrology and Civil Defence teams were keeping a close eye on areas previously hit by flooding and slips.
"Our region has taken a bit of a hammering over the past couple month, so we are being cautious."
Wind was a "big factor" in the flood threat of the upcoming weather event, it said.
"If the wind does move more to the northeast — instead of northerly — then rainfall is more likely to accumulate in some of those more vulnerable catchments of the Upper Wai-iti and Upper Motueka Rivers.
"Those areas that were damaged previously are being asked to take care. Stock should be moved to higher ground, and extreme caution should be taken around waterways. Slips are possible with this event, especially in the Takaka and Mārahau areas, which are still quite wet."
An Emergency Operations Centre would be stood up later tonight and the situation would be monitored overnight and into tomorrow, the council added.
Nelson Tasman Civil Defence said the water table was not as high as in previous weeks but there was still no room for complacency.
"It is, however, still a fair amount of rainfall, so care is needed in exposed areas and those previously affected by the flooding. Land slips are possible."
The region was still recovering from devastating twin weather events at the end of last month into July, with millions of dollars worth of damage wrought by heavy rain, flooding, and strong winds.
Full list of watches and warnings
Heavy Rain Warning - Orange
Auckland - 4am to 10pm on Tuesday.
Coromandel Peninsula – 17 hours from 6am Tuesday.
Bay of Plenty – 17 hours from 10am Tuesday.
Central North Island mountains – 16 hours from 12pm Tuesday.
Taranaki Maunga – 17 hours from 7am Tuesday.
Tasman from Motueka westwards – 16 hours from 2am Tuesday.
Nelson City District and Marlborough (west of Havelock and north of the Wairau River) – 16 hours from 5am Tuesday.
Tasman east and south of Motueka (excluding Nelson City District) – 16 hours from 5am Tuesday.
Ranges of Westland District – 17 hours from 1am Tuesday.
Headwaters of Canterbury lakes and rivers (south of Arthurs Pass) – 17 hours from 1am Tuesday.
Headwaters of Otago lakes and rivers – 16 hours from 1am Tuesday.
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including wintry blast on the way, Gloriavale leader in court, and Liam Lawson picks up points. (Source: Breakfast)
Heavy Rain Watch
Northland – 24 hours from 8pm Monday.
Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui and Taupo – 24 hours from 4am Tuesday.
North of Tokomaru Bay – 19 hours from 4pm Tuesday.
Strong Wind Watch
South of the mountains and high-country from Taranaki to the Central Plateau (including inland Whanganui) – 20 hours from 10pm tonight.
Northland – 17 hours from 5pm today.
Auckland (including Great Barrier Island) – 17 hours from 10pm tonight.
Coromandel Peninsula, eastern Waikato and Bay of Plenty – 16 hours from 6am Tuesday.
Gisborne/Tairāwhiti and Mahia Peninsula – 14 hours from 4pm Tuesday.
SHARE ME