MetService has issued an orange heavy rain warning for the Bay of Plenty and Gisborne/Tairawhiti north of Tokomaru Bay. Photo: MetService
A low front is moving down the North Island, bringing heavy rain and gales to many areas.
MetService has issued an orange heavy rain warning for the Bay of Plenty and Gisborne/Tairawhiti north of Tokomaru Bay.
People there were to expect between 80 and 100mm of rain , with thunderstorms and localised downpours also a possibility, MetService said.
The warning would be in place from 4pm Wednesday, and will last until 9am Thursday.
It warned that streams in the area could rise rapidly, and that driving conditions may be difficult.
Heavy rain and wind watches were also issued for regions across Te Ika-a-Māui.
MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane told Midday Report anyone in a region with a watch or warning should be on alert, especially in areas issued with a severe thunderstorm warning.
"When we already have wet and windy conditions those thunderstorms can act to locally intensify those effects," Makgabutlane said.
"We could see local areas that could see quite enhanced maybe even potentially damaging winds in some of those thunderstorm areas."
Heavy Rain and Strong Winds for Auckland
— MetService (@MetService) November 11, 2025
️Heavy rain with localised downpours and possible thunderstorms today.
Strong wind with 100km/h gusts in exposed places.
Get the full details here: https://t.co/qHyE5zzql5@AklCouncil @AucklandCDEM @nztaaklnth pic.twitter.com/GZRqZ4qCAR
Heavy rain watches would be in place in Northland, Auckland and Great Barrier Island, and the Coromandel Peninsula.
The watch for Northland would last 12 hours from 10am Wednesday, while the other two would begin in the early afternoon and expire in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Strong wind watches were issued for those areas throughout Wednesday evening, starting from 4pm in Northland, 6pm in Auckland and Great Barrier Island, and 8pm for the Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato near the Kaimai Range, and Bay of Plenty west of Maketu.
Northland and Auckland's would expire late Wednesday evening, while the Coromandel's would expire early Thursday morning.
Strong wind watches were issued for Rotorua, Bay of Plenty east of Maketu, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Taupō, Taihape, and Whanganui hill country, and for the whole region of Taranaki as well,
The watches would be in place from late Wednesday evening, and expire at 10am Thursday,
Wellington and Wairarapa were issued a similar watch from 7am to 3pm Thursday.
There were no warnings or watches issued for any regions of the South Island, but Makgabutlane said the rain and wind would be heading down that way on Thursday.
Harbour Bridge could close
A wind alert was in place for the Auckland Harbour Bridge between 8pm and 11pm.
The bridge was expected to be buffeted by strong gusts - expected to reach 90 kilometres an hour.
The Transport Agency said should wind gusts reach that threshold, it was likely all lanes would be closed for safety reasons.
The agency reminded motorists to drive to the conditions and pay attention to electronic message boards on the motorway.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
