MetService forecasters issued a heavy rain watch for Northland, through to Sunday 27 April - but warned the conditions expected, including the amount of rainfall, are especially hard to predict. Photo: Supplied/ MetService
A yellow heavy rain watch is in effect for Northland heading into the weekend, as a slow moving active front lies close to the upper North Island.
MetService says the front will move close to the north of the North Island through the next few days, and Northland can expect periods of heavy rain, with thunderstorms possible.
Much of the region was recently battered by strong winds and heavy rain, with flooding and power cuts in many places as a huge weather system generated by former Tropical Cyclone Tam slowly rolled over the country, with some places also experiencing flooding and deluges earlier this month, too.
The latest alert meant: "Rain is likely to become heavier north of Kaikohe overnight Friday or early Saturday morning, then spread southwards during Saturday afternoon and evening," MetService meteorologists said late Friday.
The heavy rain watch was expected to be in effect till 9am Sunday morning, though MetService forecasters frequently warn that people should stay up to date with changes to forecasts as conditions develop.
They also noted that these weather conditions expected for Northland, present "a lot of uncertainty with respect to the amounts and distribution of significant heavy rain".
Thunderstorms are also possible for western Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne from Saturday afternoon or evening.
And much of the rest of the country can expect showers on Saturday.
All updates to MetService watches and warnings can be found here.
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