North faces severe soaking
Heavy rain on way as cyclone builds in force near Fiji and could threaten NZ next week
Aband of wet weather descending today from the north through Auckland is expected to leave northern parts of the country drenched. The downpour comes ahead of a cyclone developing near Fiji, which forecasters say could hit New Zealand directly next week.
MetService meteorologist Amy Rossiter said the rain across northern parts of the North Island was a result of a humid easterly flow moving down from the north today, travelling to the upper fringes of the South Island by tomorrow. Those in north Auckland, Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula have been warned to watch out for heavy rain until 3pm today.
Rossiter said Northland would get up to 130mm of rain overnight and the MetService had a warning in place for the region also until 3pm.
Further heavy rain was expected in the area from this evening until midnight. The deluge could cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly, surface flooding and slips.
The cyclone developing around Fiji is expected to hit New Zealand next week.
WeatherWatch said although it wasn’t certain that it would affect the country, previous cyclones had been deadly because of dangerous rips and large waves. It would be much bigger than Cyclone Fehi which struck the Pacific last week.
WeatherMap uses American models for its forecasts, and they show a direct hit to Northland and Auckland. However, European models (ECMWF) show it moving into the Tasman Sea and in a position to affect either island of New Zealand.
MetService meteorologist Kyle Lee said they had a team of forecasters keeping an eye on it, but it was difficult to be precise because the cyclone was a week away.
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research said yesterday there was a moderate chance of a cyclone formation between today and Sunday. It has named the system Tropical Cyclone Gita.
Cyclone Fehi's power last week saw a state of emergency declared for Dunedin and the Buller District on the South Island's West Coast.
Felled trees and slips blocked parts of State Highway 6, stranding 115 motorists near Fox Glacier and another 600 tourists — some with medical issues — in Haast.