Photo: Unsplash / Daoudi Aissa
Weather alerts have been issued for the upper North Island as a tropical system bears down on the country.
Metservice is forecasting heavy rain and gales across Northland from Saturday evening, then reaching Auckland, Coromandel and Bay of Plenty on Sunday.
Its meteorologist Andrew James said it will bring warm humid conditions and days of rain.
"We do have this area of moist air coming down out of the tropics, and it's going to bring warm conditions, some wet conditions over the upper North Island. At this stage it's looking like a fairly wet week, particularly in the west of both islands," he said.
James said there was a heavy rain watch in place for Northland from 3pm on Saturday, for 42 hours, and for Auckland and Coromandel on Sunday.
Aucklanders are being urged to make a plan, in case the worst happens when more bad weather strikes this weekend.
The areas likely to be hit hardest are Auckland's east coast, including Whangaparaoa and Great Barrier.
Auckland Emergency Management said it is monitoring the situation and general manager Paul Amaral said residents should do the same.
We're keeping an eye on weather watches from @MetService and all Aucklanders should too. Now's a good time to make sure you have a plan in place, if the worst happens. Read more on OurAuckland: https://t.co/rw8WIwJknD
— Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) (@AucklandCDEM) April 28, 2023
He said people living in flood-prone areas should have a plan in case they need to evacuate.
He said residents should also clear gutters and drains and secure loose outdoor items.
It remains cloudy with some showers in Northland, Auckland and Coromandel today, and mostly cloudy with few showers in Gisborne and Hawke's Bay.
It is mainly fine today in Waikato to Wellington, including Bay of Plenty and the central high country, but there are evening showers expected in western Bay of Plenty.
