Day of horizontal rain and fierce winds for Wellington and Wairarapa

The MetService has warned the bottom of the North Island to expect damaging winds of up to 120km/h today. File photo / Richard Robinson

KEY POINTS:

• Horizontal rain powered by gale force winds expected to lash the bottom of the North Island.

Parts of the country can be forgiven for wondering where summer has gone today as central New Zealand braces for horizontal rain powered by gale-force winds.

The MetService has issued a strong wind warning for the bottom of the North Island where damaging winds of up to 120km/h are expected to pound the region all day today.

That's coupled with a heavy rain warning across the lower half of the North Island from Manawatu and Wairarapa south. It also includes the Buller Ranges.

Up to 100mm is expected to fall in the Tararua Range between 2-11pm with heavy downpours late afternoon and early evening.

Intense rain is now sweeping up the South Island's West Coast, partially washing out roads and causing widespread surface flooding.

Motorists are being asked to take care after roads in the region were left partially washed away by intense overnight rain.

Greymouth police said it was important to drive to the conditions as rivers rose in heavy rain from Kumara Junction to Haast. Police said trees and, in some places, roads had been partially washed away.

The Wellington Regional Emergency Management Office is warning people in the capital to prepare for a grim day.

"That rain really will be coming in horizontally, and quite a bit of it.

"Summer, where are you?"

The forecast doesn't bode well for the start of New Zealand's cricket test against Bangladesh at the Basin Reserve, which is scheduled to start at 11am.

A large McDonald's sign proved no match for strong winds that started to ramp up overnight.

The MetService is warning the winds could be strong enough to bring down trees and powerlines, and make driving hazardous especially over the Rimutaka Hill Rd.

Wellington commuter sailings in and out of Seatoun have been cancelled this morning.

Seatoun Sailings Cancelled this morning https://t.co/ki2BhgDHhv

— Metlink Wellington (@metlinkwgtn) January 11, 2017

An extensive weather watch is also in force for much of the South Island.

Heavy rain is expected in western areas of the South Island and severe gales are forecast to batter eastern, southern and inland parts of the island during the day.

Overnight heavy rain had led to several areas of surface flooding on the West Coast highway between Ross and Fox Glacier.

Update: The surface water flooding warning on SH6 has been extended to cover from Ross to Haast https://t.co/1BYlQ0Ho5C ^LT

— Waka Kotahi NZTA Canterbury & West Coast (@WakaKotahiCWC) January 11, 2017

Strong wind warnings were also now being issued for high alpine passes where the New Zealand Transport Agency is advising motorcyclists and trucks to take care on the roads.

A strong wind warning is now in place on SH7 btwn Culverden & Springs Junction (Lewis Pass) Motocyclists & high sided vehicles take care

— Waka Kotahi NZTA Canterbury & West Coast (@WakaKotahiCWC) January 11, 2017

Meanwhile eastern parts of the North Island are expected to top 30C. Hastings and Napier are expected to swelter in a sunny 32C day.

Weather today:
Auckland: Cloudy with sunny spells. 24C
Hamilton: Cloudy, sunny in afternoon then rain. 24C
Wellington:Wet. Northerly gales. 19C
Christchurch: Fine spells, showers after lunch. Afternoon southerly 29C
Dunedin: Heavy showers in afternoon. Southerly change 20C