Heavy rain, strong winds and thunderstorms are due to bring a spectacular end to summer in Auckland today.
A tropical trough that hit Northland last night is expected to hang over the North Island for much of this week.
The weather hampered attempts to rescue nine people froma charter vessel that ran aground on rocks off North Cape.
A rescue helicopter that tried to reach the boat was thwarted by heavy rain and 30- to 40-knot winds.
The boat was this morning being towed to the safety of Houhora Harbour.
The tropical trough is expected to hit Auckland today, bringing a week of wet weather.
High winds are also likely, and MetService yesterday issued a gale warning for the Hauraki Gulf and wind warnings for the Waitemata and Manukau harbours.
Conditions in the gulf are likely to be at their worst this afternoon, with poor visibility and gusts of 45 knots expected.
Gale warnings have also been issued for coastal areas from Taranaki to Cape Reinga in the west, and back down to East Cape in the east.
The trough, originating near Lord Howe Island northwest of New Zealand, is expected to bring up to 100mm of rain a day in some places.
As the trough spreads south, the rain is predicted to hit the Bay of Plenty and Coromandel hardest, and official warnings of heavy rain - more than 100mm over 24 hours - are expected.
MetService weather ambassador Bob McDavitt said yesterday the rain in those two regions would probably set in solidly today and tomorrow and some flooding was likely.
Drought-stricken Waikato and Taranaki farmers will get some relief - their arid paddocks should get a good soaking for the first half of this week, and showers are forecast to continue for the rest of the week.
The rain is also good news for power companies, which have been anxiously watching falling hydro lake levels.
But at least the weather won't be too cold, Mr McDavitt said.
April temperatures had averaged 16.8C - 0.6C warmer than usual.
That was good news for the farmers, as they needed rain before soil temperature became too low for grass to grow.
Mr McDavitt said La Nina was still pushing warmer weather from the tropics to New Zealand, a pattern likely to continue for a while.
But shorter days were bringing colder weather and New Zealand could expect a normal winter.
