North Island residents are being warned to take care on the roads today, with heavy rain and thunderstorms forecast and the possibility of tornadoes.
Photo: 123rf.com
Metservice has issued a heavy rain warning watch for Northland and the Auckland region, with between 80 to 110mm of rain expected to accumulate.
Thunderstorms could cause heavy rain of between 15 and 25 millimetres an hour and winds could reach 100 kilometres per hour.
Heavy rain is expected for parts of northern and central New Zealand overnight and on Monday. Check the conditions before you travel tomorrow as driving may be hazardous. Stay up to date with @MetService warnings and watches and check highway updates at https://t.co/i5Y2AlF2fJ
— National Emergency Management Agency (@NZcivildefence) March 20, 2022
A heavy rain warning has been issued with wind, thunderstorms and possible localised tornadoes for Auckland and Northland through to Monday midday.
The rough weather is expected to hit Auckland and Great Barrier Island from around 10pm.
It will then sweep over the Coromandel Peninsula from around 6am Monday and move onto the Bay of Plenty west of Opotiki a few hours later, and finally to Gisborne.
Motorists are being advised to watch out for surface flooding and slips.
A frontal system moves south over Northland today and overnight into the early hours of Monday morning. Here you can see the radar showing some rain heading for Northland this morning, you can track the rain for Northland here https://t.co/NSlU8DFeca ^KL pic.twitter.com/HUll3QdkWa
— MetService (@MetService) March 19, 2022
Surface and flash flooding and slips are likely and driving conditions could be hazardous with very poor visibility.
Possible localised tornadoes could also damage trees and powerless.
Civil Defence has advised people to relocate items from any areas that are prone to flooding.
