KEY POINTS:
The heavy downpours that have left many parts of the country sodden appear to be easing.
The MetService says the upper part of the North Island will get some showers today but things will start to improve tomorrow. By Wednesday the rain should have mostly cleared.
"We have got over the worst of it," said lead forecaster Bob Lake.
But although the sun is expected to make an appearance during the next few days, Mr Lake said anyone with outdoor plans should try to get them done by Thursday morning.
By Thursday night or Friday morning another spell of rain is likely to hit the North Island, and a cold front will move up the South Island. Neither region is expected to receive the kind of torrential rain that lashed the country over the past few weeks.
The bad weather has left a trail of destruction around the country. The damage is estimated to have already reached $50 million. In many parts of New Zealand people are still waiting for floodwaters to recede to reveal the full extent of the storms' ferocity.
In Auckland, slips and landslides continue to threaten a number of homes on the North Shore and in Waitakere. In Torbay's Lingham Cres, the slip that last week forced the evacuation of 14 homes has finally stopped but the extent of damage is not clear.
Council spokesman Blair Harkness said there had not been any more movement since Saturday, which meant most of the affected residents had been allowed to return home.
One home will have to be demolished, and it is likely to be some time before the authorities will know the fate of a further two.
Residents from those homes are staying in temporary accommodation.
In Glenfield, two properties in Mulberry Place have also been evacuated due to a landslip. Mr Harkness said the slip had continued to creep towards the homes over the weekend and it was expected to be up to a month before authorities knew if the residents would be allowed to return.
The slip has completely lifted the concrete footpath, and part of the road has slumped by about half a metre.
Residents in the small street, which is cordoned off to the public, yesterday told the Herald they were concerned the problem might spread to their homes.
In Birkenhead, a large section of hillside above a Huka Rd industrial development site has also given way during the bad weather, although no buildings are at risk.
Meanwhile, engineers are still believed to be assessing the damage of a slip in Birdwood Rd, Massey, which has been inching closer to now-vacated homes since Thursday night.
THE FORECAST
Today: Showers for much of the north and west of the North Island.
Tomorrow: A few light showers between Taranaki and Northland.
Wednesday: Showers mostly gone in the upper North Island.
Late Thursday/Friday: Another low coming, bringing showers to North Island. A cold front also hitting the South Island.
