Northlanders are being told to prepare for more bad weather with a subtropical low forecast to batter the top of the North Island early next week.
An 18-hour heavy rain watch starting from 10pm on Monday has been issued by MetService for the region, with a high chance it would be upgraded to a warning.
Subtropical low threatens wet and windy start to school holidays - watch on TVNZ+
A strong wind watch was also in place between 3am and 5pm Tuesday.
MetService meteorologist Alanna Burrows told 1News the low was expected to develop through Monday.
"As it pushes further south it's going to draw some really moist subtropical air around it," she said.
"As that system gets closer to New Zealand we're expecting to see a strengthening of winds as well as some heavy rain."
She said there was some uncertainty around the exact position of the low and where it will track, making it difficult to predict which areas will be most affected.
Northland's soaking late on Monday and Tuesday was "just the start", she said, with the low and its associated trough expected to move southeastwards over the country during Wednesday and Thursday.
"On Wednesday we've got a low confidence of heavy rain for the Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, and Northern Gisborne."
A building ridge of high pressure would then clear the system away to the east, with a minimal risk of severe weather predicted for Friday.
MetService's severe weather forecasters were in contact with local councils in preparation for the bad weather, especially after Northland suffered from severe heavy rain and flooding in late March.
The South Island was not exempt from the bleak forecast. A low over the Tasman Sea is expected to hit western Tasman on Tuesday, as well as the Westland ranges and Fiordland on Wednesday.
Burrows said rain warnings were possible for those areas.
In a silver lining, warmer-than-average overnight temperatures forecast throughout the week mean that Kiwis won't be needing the pile on the covers overnight.
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