The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) said Christchurch received more than a third of its average December rainfall in the last 24 hours, with 46 millimetres of rain recorded in the city and 73mm recorded at Akaroa.
For Auckland, meanwhile, MetService forecast the expected heavy and thundery showers about the west of the city to clear and become fine into the evening. Strong winds gusting to 90km/h in exposed places should also ease, the forecaster said.
The first day of 2025 was likely to be partly cloudy with some isolated showers in the city, but these should clear in the evening, MetService said. It was expected to reach 22C tomorrow and 23C on Thursday.
Strong wind in Northland, Coromandel, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Taupō regions was also slated to ease into the evening.
Wellington’s wind was forecast to ease closer to midnight, but showers were expected to continue tomorrow.
Showers were forecast for Christchurch into the night but winds there were also likely to ease. A cloudy first day of the year was forecast for the Garden City, with showers becoming less frequent from late morning and clearing in the evening.
Western and southern parts of the country were expected to avoid the worst of the weather.
Clear skies were expected in Queenstown tonight, MetService meteorologist Ngaire Wotherspoon said, with the Rhythm and Alps music festival in its second night at Cardrona Valley.
Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.
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