KEY POINTS:
A heavy rain warning remains in place for northern and western New Zealand despite the storm so far causing limited damage.
Slips and minor flooding occurred in Northland following heavy overnight rain but downpours have been relatively limited today.
Warnings of thunderstorms, lightning, torrential rain and gale-force winds were made yesterday and remained in place for the top half of the North Island and western parts of both islands.
"We've still got the warnings in place and we are expecting the clouds to become more organised," a MetService spokeswoman told NZPA.
As of 6pm there had been 46.6mm of rain since midnight in Fiordland, 41.5mm near Otorohanga in south Waikato and 31mm in Whangarei, including one 15mm burst in an hour before daybreak.
Whangarei District Council spokeswoman Ann Midson said there were a number of slips which had affected rural roads, some surface flooding and some waterways had risen overnight.
Far North District Council civil defence officer Alastair Wells said there had been heavy rain and surface flooding this morning but the day had been relatively uneventful.
A severe weather warning issued by MetService at 6.06pm said there would be rainfall totals of 30mm to 90mm over a wide area of the northern and central North Island and the north of the South Island.
The wettest places were likely to be the high ground from Mt Taranaki to the central North Island plateau, Bay of Plenty and northern Gisborne, where 70mm to 160mm was forecast.
Peak rainfall of 15mm to 30mm an hour were expected at times and there could be localised downpours of 40mm in some parts, the warning said.
"People in the warning areas should watch out for rapidly rising streams and rivers, surface flooding and hazardous driving conditions."
Heavy rain was also expected in Taranaki, Nelson, the Richmond Range, Marlborough Sounds, and ranges of Buller and Westland north of Franz Josef Glacier.
Weather warnings were lifted for Fiordland and Westland from Franz Josef Glacier southwards.
- NZPA
