KEY POINTS:
Motorists are being warned to take care as another winter blast brings big swells, gale-force winds, hail and thunderstorms to parts of the North Island today.
Police have warning drivers on Centennial Highway, State Highway One, to take extreme care as some waves were breaching the sea wall and throwing drift wood onto the road.
Inspector Paul Jermy said motorists should avoid driving in the area until 3pm.
Kapiti Coast District Council spokesman Tony Cronin said the high winds that the council had been warned of had not eventuated and the rain had eased.
"The tide has now reached its peak and there is a fair amount of debris on the Centennial Highway," Mr Cronin said.
He said the area was being cleared by contractors.
"There is a bit of concern about what could happen with the next tide at 1am but so far damage has been minimal," Mr Cronin said.
Last night heavy weather damaged property and left one person injured in the Taranaki region.
The Radio Network's weather centre reported 14 metres of hoarding blew off a building site in New Plymouth's main street and an Italian tourist had her leg broken after being blown into a van.
New Plymouth fire station's senior station officer, Ian Drewery, said the wind also blew in the windows of a house in town last night.
TRN's weather analyst Philip Duncan said there were also reports that a small tornado flattened farm sheds in coastal Taranaki.
Mr Duncan warned the Central North Island could be in for more of the same stormy weather today.
"Winds have eased to around 65 km/h in New Plymouth but further north along Auckland's west coast gusts are reaching 105km/h and should increase throughout the day," Mr Duncan said.
Metservice operations manager, Steve Ready, said a deep depression over the South Tasman Sea should hit the top of the South Island and most of the North Island today moving east bringing squally conditions for most.
"It's one of these standard and very good winter storms," he said.
Mr Ready said areas in the Central North Island were likely to be worst-hit with strong westerlies reaching gale-force proportions in exposed places accompanied by squally showers, hail and thunderstorms.
While some will probably be preparing to batten down the hatches when the winds reach their peak this afternoon, intrepid surfers could be excited by the prospect of huge swells, which are likely to be generated from Taranaki to just south of Auckland.
"The peak will be around the Taranaki area where they will be around seven to eight metres," said Mr Ready. "They will gradually taper off around Auckland but you're still likely to be looking at about five-metre swells."
Meanwhile, Aucklanders can brace themselves for a couple of windy days but Mr Ready said an extra duvet won't be needed at night.
He said daytime temperatures were likely to be comfortable in the mid-teens with the mercury dropping to around eight or nine overnight.
But westerlies are expected to stay strong today and tomorrow with patchy and heavy showers predicted for the city.
Mr Ready said there was "still a chance" of cold outbreaks between now and August.
"We are still very much in winter and there's no guarantee there won't be any other cold outbreaks between now and spring time."
The squally conditions are predicted to clear north of Taranaki tomorrow although Wellington and Wairarapa are likely to cop a further blast of cold southerly gales.
Further south, MetService has downgraded its rain warning on the West Coast but is forecasting snow on the mountain passes.
Cold rain on the Lindis and Porters Pass could turn to snow this afternoon and the Milford Rd could also be in for a dusting.
