Waikato on heavy rain weather watch

There are several weather warnings and watches in place for Friday December 29.

The Waikato area is under a heavy rain watch today, with downpours of up to 40mm an hour possible at times.

Metservice has warned that until 7am on December 30, periods of heavy rain are possible across the Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Taupō, Tongariro National Park and Kaimanawa Mountains regions.

There may also be thunderstorms.

It’s one of several alerts in place for New Zealand today, with heavy rain warnings active for Mount Taranaki, Nelson and Westland, as well as watches for Bay of Plenty, Buller, Fiordland and the Richmond and Bryant Ranges.

The latest spell of bad weather for the area comes as MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane warned the long weekend might see challenging some conditions.

“While many places will see quite a bit of rain, mountainous areas will bear the brunt of it. For those venturing into the great outdoors — camping, tramping, or even glamping — take note that heavy rain can lead to rising streams and rivers.”

The Waikato is set for a wet end to 2023, with conditions looking dryer in the first week of the new year.

The New Year’s Eve outlook wasn’t ideal for the North Island either, she said.

“Whether 2023 ends on a wet or a dry note will depend on how fast that front moves through.

“The outlook is favourable for the Deep South and Otago at the stroke of midnight, however things may be a bit dicey elsewhere.

“It is worth saying though, being a few days away, there’s still some wiggle room with those timings.”

However, things may look up for the Waikato once 2024 arrives.

“Apart from some showers in the western South Island and windy westerlies along the Southland coast, the outlook for Monday and Tuesday is not a bad way to start a new year.”

Milly Fullick is a journalist based in Taupō. She joined the Taupō and Tūrangi Herald team in 2022.

Stay up to date with the Waikato Herald

Get the latest Waikato headlines straight to your inbox Monday to Saturday. Register for free today - click here and choose Local News.