New Zealand severe weather warnings: Heavy rain, thunderstorms expected across North and South Islands

Time of India

09-05-2025

New Zealand is bracing for a wet day on Friday (May 9, 2025) as a large weather system moves across the country. Large parts of the country will receive heavy rain, strong winds, and potential thunderstorms. MmetService has issued multiple warnings and watches for both the North and South Islands.
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The North Island will face the maximum brunt of the storm with orange heavy rain warnings and severe thunderstorm watches in place for several regions, while the South Island is also expected to experience heavy rainfall, particularly in the upper regions and the ranges.
MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane explained that the weather system is moving across New Zealand, bringing northerly winds to the North Island and southerly winds to the South Island.
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"We've got a large weather system moving across us, bringing in that northerly wind for the North Island. However, in the South Island, it is moving up with more of a southerly wind, so it's kind of coming in from two different directions. But for the North Island, (it) is that warmer air that's in circulation, and those northerly winds and bringing in plenty of rain, but also plenty of rain for the South Island as well," she said.
Northland is under an orange heavy rain warning, with expectations of 80 to 120mm of rain, which could go up to 150mm in a few areas due to downpours and possible thunderstorms. A strong wind watch and a thunderstorm watch are also in effect for the region. Rainfall could peak at up to 40mm an hour, and there was a small chance of the
thunderstorm warning
being upgraded to red.
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MetService urged Northland residents to clear drains and gutters, avoid low-lying areas, and drive cautiously.
"Expect 80 to 120mm of rain, with possibly up to 150mm in localised areas, especially in downpours and possible thunderstorms."
Makgabutlane cautioned about the potential for surface flooding due to intense bursts of rain.
"With the heavy rain that's in place already, those shorter, intense bursts of rain could bring things like surface planning possibly," she added.
New Zealand weather: Cities under watch
Severe thunderstorm watches are in place for Auckland, Great Barrier Island, the Coromandel Peninsula the Bay of Plenty, and Rotorua alongside existing alerts for Northland and Taranaki. There was a moderate chance of the rain watch being upgraded to a warning.
Orange heavy rain warnings were issued for Northland, the Bay of Plenty, Tongariro National Park, and Mount Taranaki.
Heavy rain watches are in effect for Coromandel, Waikato, western Bay of Plenty, and King Country. Heavy rain warnings are in place around Mt Taranaki, the area south of Lake Taupō and Bay of Plenty (east of Whakatane and Gisborne/Tai Rāwhiti, north of Ruatoria). A severe thunderstorm watch is also in place in north Taranaki.
The rain in Northland was just starting to arrive as of 7am local time , and heavy falls for Auckland were expected today into the afternoon and evening.
Although there were no warnings for the lower North Island, including Wellington, Makgabutlane indicated it was expected to be a "pretty wet day" there, especially from late morning into the afternoon.
"I'd say if you're in the North Island today, definitely keep an eye on the radar and the forecast. It is looking like a wet day out there."
In the South Island, a heavy rain watch was in place for Nelson, northwest of Motueka, the Richmond and Bryant ranges and the Rai Valley. The ranges in Westland had an orange heavy rain warning, as did the headwaters of the Otago lakes and rivers. The Canterbury High Country had a strong wind watch in place overnight.
"For the South Island, the other place I'll highlight is the top of the South Island - so places like Buller, but especially Tasman and parts of Nelson as well, we're also seeing some heavy rain in that area with a couple of rain watches in place until the early afternoon," Makgabutlane said.
MetService meteorologist Heather Keats said the strongest wind gust recorded was 150km/h in Methven high country.
"As for the rain, Tasman District has received the most in the last sort of 6 to 12 hours, but actually Hokitika in the last hour had 23mm of rain," she said.
Keats said as that front moves north, the South Island would get "a much brighter and calmer afternoon and evening".