Wild weather set for North Island

Both ends of the North Island are in for rough weather today.

Northland, Auckland, Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty have been put on a severe thunderstorm watch.

Bands of heavy showers would become slow moving near Auckland and Coromandel Peninsula this afternoon, with a risk of severe thunderstorms near the east coast between Whangarei and Tauranga.

Localised downpours could drop as much as 25-35mm an hour, causing surface flooding and possibly flash flooding in low-lying areas.

The thunderstorms could also cause hail with hailstones up to 15mm in size.

Meanwhile, Wellington and southern Wairarapa could be in for a severe soaking tonight as a shallow low becomes slow moving over the area.

Although the heaviest rain was expected to fall at sea, it was possible up to 70mm would fall in Wellington and Wairarapa, south of Martinborough, in the nine hours from 9pm, said MetService forecaster Erick Brenstrum.

He warned people in these areas to be prepared for rapidly rising streams and rivers and hazardous driving conditions.

- NZPA