Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and the Bay of Plenty are also looking damp, he said.
Monday and Tuesday will not have torrential rain like today’s downpours, but “continual drizzly showers” will stick around much of the North Island’s east coast.
On Wednesday, heavy rain and strong northeasterly winds are expected to hit the top of the North Island as a system moves south from the tropics.
The MetService severe weather outlook said the forecaster is 30-60% confident that “warning amounts of rain” will fall in northern and eastern Northland.
For the rest of Northland, Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula, MetService is 10-30% confident a rainfall warning will be needed.
The weather authority is 30-60% sure that northeast winds will reach severe gale speeds in exposed places in Northland, Auckland and Coromandel.
The system will spread south through Wednesday and into Thursday, bringing the rain and wind with it, Lynden said.
For the South Island, the West Coast is looking sunny, while overcast conditions are expected in the east early next week.
“Canterbury right up to coastal Kaikōura, the Sounds and also down to Dunedin, there is cloud sticking around those areas and that is expected to remain pretty persistent right the way through till probably late Wednesday, early Thursday,” Lynden said.
Northland Flooding
Parts of Northland were hit by significant torrential rain overnight, causing chaos in the region.
A lightning strike at about 5.15am cut power to 225 homes in Whangaruru.
Several roads in Whangārei were blocked by slips or debris.
Helena Bay resident Liv Patu said there had been torrential rain most of the night.
“There’s about 14 of us out here this weekend [and] everyone was up around 5.30am moving cars and valuables to higher ground,” she said.
Flooding at Scows Landing on Ngunguru Rd. Photo / Amy Tipene
A Helena Bay farmer, who asked not to be named, said it was the worst flooding he had seen in 60 years.
MetService issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Far North and Whangārei, which lasted from 6.50am to 7.45am.
A heavy rain warning was in place for Eastern and Central Northland until noon today.