Be prepared Northland - strong wind and heavy rain on the way

Wind and heavy rain forecast for Northland from Tuesday to Friday could cause surface flooding.

Northlanders will need to keep an eye on the weather over the next few days, with a strong wind watch and heavy rain watch issued for the region.

Surface flooding could be caused by the weather events, with the winds also putting trees, power lines and property at risk.

MetService has issued a strong wind watch for Northland for 61 hours from 8pm Tuesday to 9am Friday, with northeast winds that may approach severe gale levels in exposed places. Severe gale levels have a minimum mean speed of 90km/h or frequent gusts exceeding 110km/h.

It also has issued a heavy rain watch for Northland for 39 hours from 6pm Wednesday to 9am Friday. During this period, heavy rain is expected where rainfall amounts may approach rain warning criteria - 25mm/h or more - especially in the north and east.

''This is likely to be a significant event, especially for places where soils are already saturated from recent rain. People are advised to keep up to date with the latest forecasts, as some areas could be upgraded to a Red Warning, and more areas will likely be added,'' MetService said.

The expected heavy rain comes with Northland still sodden from heavy rain so far over winter.

One of the wettest and warmest month of July recorded in Northland has a climate scientist warning the region to get ready for "a new normal" of winter downpours coupled with summer droughts.

Data from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) shows it was overall New Zealand's wettest and fourth-warmest July on record, with five significant weather events between July 11 and 31 giving the nation a good soaking.

That will come as no surprise to Northland farmers, firefighters and road workers, who had to deal with sodden pastures, flooded highways, downed trees and roads wiped out by slips.

With a whopping 572mm of rain, Kerikeri was the second-wettest place in the country in July, beaten only by Aoraki-Mt Cook's 725mm.

That's almost three times Kerikeri's July average and the second wettest since records began in 1935.

Kaitaia's 301mm, almost double the long-term average, was the town's third-highest July rainfall.