Photo: MetService
An "atmospheric river" lashing parts of the country is to bring about a month's worth of rain in one day, MetService says.
Meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said residents in the top and east of the North Island and top and west of the South Island can expect rivers to rise rapidly and surface flooding.
Makgabutlane said some regions have already experienced 18 hours of heavy rain and Tasman, Buller and Marlborough are in line for the highest rainfalls.
Residents should beware of slips and hazardous road conditions.
MetService said the storm cutting a path across New Zealand is the largest weather system so far in 2025.
Makgabutlane said the main rain band is expected to extend into the North Island from late Thursday into Friday, bringing large amounts of rain to northern and western regions.
The heaviest rain is expected overnight in Northland and during Friday morning's commute for Aucklanders,
It will extend to other areas throughout the day, she said.
Northland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and the top of Tairawhiti/Gisborne are under an orange heavy rain warning, while Auckland, Waikato, and Taranaki are under a watch.
Meanwhile, Hokitika has more rainfall in last 24 hours than all of March.
MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris told Checkpoint Hokitika has had more rain in the last 24 hours than it received all of last month.
Ferris said there were orange warnings covering all of the country.
"There is plenty of orange warnings around for the North of the North Island going down Coromandel and Bay of Plenty.
"Around the South Island it's basically the Northern half that's covered in orange warnings, with one little heavy rain watch around the Nelson city area itself.
"Eastern parts of the South Island look to remain pretty dry and being very much different tomorrow... basically all will be seeing rain tomorrow."
He said midday Friday it would start clearing in the Southern areas of the South Island, and clear in parts of the Northern South Island late afternoon.
"Saturday looks much clearer around the country," he said.
The top of the South Island is bracing for a big storm as a deep low crosses the Tasman Sea. Catch up on all the updates updates from across RNZ's newsrooms below.
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Photo: MetService
