Heavy rain and thunderstorm warnings for North Island

A low and southeasterly airflow combine to bring heavy rain and possible thunderstorms to the North Island today. Photo / Paul Taylor

Rain and thunderstorms may hit the North Island today.

A complex low over the North Island will likely bring rain or showers and possible thunderstorms and localised downpours to many parts today and tomorrow.

A heavy rain warning is in place for Wairarapa, including the Tararua District, from 6am this morning through to Thursday afternoon.

Up to 120mm-160mm is expected to accumulate, with up to 15-25mm an hour.

Downpours are also expected in Hawke's Bay and Taranaki, especially about Mt Taranaki.

Streams and rivers may rise rapidly, and flooding and slips are also possible, making driving potentially hazardous.

Wednesday and Thursday see areas of rain, showers and isolated thunderstorms in the North Island. Photo / WeatherWatch.co.nz

MetService meteorologist Brian Mercer said quite a few thunderstorms are also expected between Waikato and Manawatu.

"They should move further north into the Auckland region this afternoon and evening."

Conditions will ease over the South Island, which suffered the low yesterday.

"In the South Island it will generally be quite a nice day, with a little bit of rain in northern parts around Nelson and the Marlborough region," Mercer said.

"There is also cloud from Banks Peninsula northwards, but most of the rest of the South Island is fine this morning."

Southland and Otago will have a mostly sunny morning, then showers from early afternoon, and cloud will break to sunny spells in Canterbury this afternoon.

The current high for the day is in Tauranga, which is sitting at 21.9C, and Gore in Southland is the current low at 5C.

Here's tomorrow's forecast maximum temperatures. A few degrees warmer in the south, and a few degrees cooler for central and northern NZ. ^HM pic.twitter.com/dcrxQex89C

— MetService (@MetService) March 6, 2018

Today's weather

Whangarei Occasional showers, chance heavy and thundery until late afternoon. Northerly breezes. 25C high, 15C overnight.

Auckland Occasional showers, some heavy with possible thunderstorms. Northeast breezes. 25C high, 17C overnight.

Hamilton Occasional rain, possibly heavy and thundery falls. Southeasterly developing afternoon. 25C high, 16C overnight.

Tauranga Occasional showers, possibly heavy and thundery. Northeast developing afternoon. 24C high, 18C overnight.

New Plymouth Periods of rain, with possibly heavy falls. Strong southeasterlies. 21C high, 17C overnight.

Napier Periods of rain, possibly heavy falls. Southerlies tend southeast. 23C high, 18C overnight.

Wellington​ Cloudy with rain at times. Strong, gusty southerlies, gale in exposed places. 17C high, 13C overnight.

Nelson​ Cloudy periods and chance shower until afternoon. Southerlies. 22C high, 13C overnight.

Christchurch​ Cloud clearing to fine spells this morning. Southerly dying out. 18C high, 9C overnight.

Dunedin​ Morning cloud clearing to fine. Cloud and chance shower returning by evening. Southwest dying out. 19C high, 12C overnight.