Police urge road caution after heavy rain warning

Police are urging motorists returning home from the long weekend to be cautious as thunderstorms and heavy rain are set to descend over much of the North Island.

The Labour weekend road toll stood at two last night.

About 12.30am yesterday a driver was killed near Hokianga when a car left State Highway 12 and burst into flames.

On Friday night Norman Marsden, 86, died after his car plunged about 100m off the Summit Rd in the Cashmere Hills, Christchurch.

Two other fatal crashes on Friday - near Te Kuiti and near Gisborne - occurred before the official holiday period began at 4pm.

The road toll last Labour weekend was three, the lowest since 1977.

Inspector Ian Brooker said police would be patrolling bottleneck areas north and south of Auckland today to monitor those returning from holiday.

He asked motorists to be patient and drive to conditions as the MetService warned that heavy rain and possible thunderstorms would lash much of the North Island today.

"It's going to be wet, so people who are travelling will have to pay attention to the conditions," said MetService forecaster Paul Mallinson.

The Manawatu Gorge was closed yesterday afternoon due to several slips blocking the road. The road reopened but was down to one lane in several places.

There is a high risk of thunderstorms this afternoon for parts of Northland, Auckland, the Coromandel Peninsula and Waikato, with 10-20mm of rainfall an hour. Wind gusts of up to 90km/h are expected to hit Northland and Auckland.

The MetService issued a low risk warning for thunderstorms around the central plateau.

Overnight rain is expected to intensify around Mt Taranaki, where 80mm is expected from midnight till 6pm.

Wanganui down to Wellington and the Wairarapa can expect a similar amount of rainfall today, with the heaviest falls for the capital forecast for later tonight.

Conditions are expected to ease tomorrow.


Weather alert

* High risk of thunderstorms for Auckland and Northland this afternoon, including 10mm to 25mm of rainfall an hour and wind gusts up to 90km/h.

* Heavy rain for Taranaki, Wanganui, Wellington and the Wairarapa.

* Conditions in most places expected to have eased by tomorrow.