A strong wind watch for the upper North Island has been upgraded to an orange strong wind warning.
Severe gusts of up to 120km/h are possible until 9pm this evening, MetService said.
A severe thunderstorm watch has also been issued for Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island and Coromandel Peninsula until 9pm.
Meanwhile, the Auckland Harbour Bridge has had lanes reduced as a result of the severe wind gusts.
Earlier, highways across the South Island were closed by heavy snow.
Follow the latest on the wintry and windy weather with RNZ's live updates:
