Large swells are expected to create difficult conditions at beaches along the North Island’s east coast as heavy rain and winds bear down over the coming days.
A low-pressure system drifting down from the north brings the possibility of heavy rain to Northland, Auckland, Waikato, including the Coromandel Peninsula, the Bay of Plenty, and Tairāwhiti/Gisborne from Sunday.
This system may also be accompanied by severe gale winds.
Swells peaking up to 3m have been issued for the entire east coast of the North Island, with rain, wind and surging swells expected throughout the weekend, Surf Life Saving New Zealand [SLSNZ] said in a statement.
SLSNZ chief operations officer Chris Emmett said there had already been notable rescues at beaches across the country since the New Year period and beachgoers should exercise caution and take care as conditions change and become more dangerous.