More rain is expected for Northland after heavy downpours, strong winds and lightning pummelled the region overnight.
The region was hit with 1100 lightning strikes during the night, almost a quarter of the North Island’s total of 4700.
MetService meteorologist Dom Barry said while the worst was over, some rain was expected for this afternoon and over the coming days.
Meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said in the last 12 hours, a station at Mangakahia, northwest of Whangārei, recorded 41mm of rain, with 21mm falling in the space of an hour.
Yesterday afternoon, Tutukākā Harbour recorded 89km/h wind gusts, while gusts at Cape Karikari in the Far North reached 81km/h, and more popular areas such as Kaikohe and Whangārei had gusts of up to 70km/h.
It comes after a series of weather warnings were issued for the region, including an upgrade from a heavy rain watch to an orange heavy rain warning until 5am today.
Makgabutlane said the wind speed was worsened by a high-pressure system in the country’s northeast and an intense low-pressure system passing in the south.
“The relative proximity of those two systems together cranked up the systems we saw over the last week,” she said.
Barry said today was expected to be an “active” one as a series of fronts passed over the region.
“While the rain warning has lifted, there is still going to be rain coming through this afternoon and a low risk of thunderstorms for the area as well.”
Moving into tomorrow, light westerly breezes may be accompanied by the odd shower in the west, he said.
Northern parts of the region, such as Kaitāia and Kerikeri, could expect some rain on Thursday before a clearer weekend with the occasional afternoon shower.
Temperatures were expected to sit in the late teens to early 20s this week, with double-digit temperatures around 10 degrees likely overnight.
According to the Seasonal Climate Outlook for October to December from Earth Sciences New Zealand (formerly Niwa), there was a high probability for La Nina conditions prevailing.
It stated the risk of tropical influences and heavy rainfall events was elevated, particularly for the northern North Island.
Temperatures were likely to be above average in Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty, with rainfall amounts above normal or near normal.
“This region will have the greatest chance to see irregular short and sharp rain events as the season progresses, including the possibility for atmospheric rivers or an ex-tropical cyclone.”
Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.