A tropical low is set to batter the North Island with heavy rain and gales until Easter, a forecaster says.
Weatherwatch.co.nz said storms hitting Fiji would start setting in over New Zealand this afternoon.
Head weather analyst Philip Duncan said "relentless" gale force winds would affect Waikato, East Coast, Gisborne and Hawke's Bay for six days.
Heavy rain could cut off towns in already-sodden areas of East Cape, while coastal communities could be affected by massive swells, he said.
"This storm system is literally stretching from here to Fiji... it's just going to be relentless for the next six days.