8.20 am
Last night's blustery start to the Easter weekend brought surface flooding to parts of the North Island - but this morning's forecast is for much better weather around the country.
The remains of tropical cyclone Sose delivered 130mm of rain in the Coromandel overnight. About 100mm fell in Northland and the Bay of Plenty, causing minor flooding and bringing down trees.
In Ohakune, three people were injured when a marquee collapsed in high winds at a Maori cultural festival.
The flood-prone Northland town of Kaeo was hit hard by yesterday's heavy rain. Floodwaters swirled across the main street through the township last night, entering several shops.
Water blocked State Highway 10 to the north and cut off Kaeo Hospital from the town. The highway was impassable to all but four wheel drive vehicles and buses from the early hours of Thursday until later in the day when the tide began to ebb.
State Highway 1 near the Horeke turn off at Rangiahua, north of Okaihau, was also blocked.
Northland's heaviest rain was recorded on the eastern hills area between Whangarei and Kerikeri with 28mm falling per hour at times on Thursday afternoon during the night.
East of Whangarei at Ngunguru and Glenbervie, 207mm of rain fell in the 24 hours to midnight on Thursday, most of it between noon and midnight.
A Northland Regional Council automatic rainfall station in the Glenbervie Hills recorded 105mm between 2pm and 5pm on Thursday.
North of Whangarei near the east coast, 128mm was recorded at Puhipuhi during the same period, while 161mm fell west of Kerikeri, 122mm at Ohaeawai in the mid north on State Highway 1, and 100mm in the Oruru Valley inland from Taipa in the Far North.
MetService issued the following forecasts at 5.00 this morning:
For Wanganui, Manawatu, Wairarapa and Wellington:
Rain at times, clearing from Wanganui and Manawatu this evening.
For the remainder of the North Island:
Rain mostly clearing this morning,leaving just a few showers from Northland to Waitomo, also Bay of Plenty.Occasional rain spreading north over Hawkes Bay and southern Gisborne late afternoon and evening. Showersabout Northland, Auckland and Coromandel becoming widespread, heavier and sometimes thundery this afternoon.
For Nelson, Buller, Westland and Fiordland:
Becoming fine this morning, apart from a few lingering showers about southern Fiordland.
For Marlborough:
Occasional rain developing this morning, retreating to coastal areas this evening.
For Canterbury:
Some patchy rain at first, but a clearance to fine weather spreading north during the day.
For Otago and Southland:
A few showers about the south coast and Stewart Island, , and long fine periods elsewhere.
And for the Chatham Islands:
Rain at times.
Sose slips away as weekend weather improves
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