More rain warnings are likely to be issued as another broad area of low pressure heads towards New Zealand.

It’s the fifth system to bring rain to the country in a matter of weeks turning drought regions into flood zones. 

WeatherWatch.co.nz head weather analyst Philip Duncan says regions recently hit by flooding or heavy rain will again by in the firing line.  “It looks as though this will bring heavy rain to northern and north eastern areas of both islands”

Northland, Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, the Kaimai and Mamaku Ranges, Bay of Plenty, East Cape, Gisborne and Hawkes Bay, Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough and Canterbury are all predicted to receive heavy rain from the system.

MetService has similar regions in their Severe Weather Outlook issued on Sunday afternoon with moderate confidence of rain warnings being issued for Northland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and East Cape on Tuesday and/or Wednesday.  They have lower confidence for regions from Hawkes Bay to Canterbury however that may increase as the low moves closer.

“Rain is expected to start in the north overnight Monday and Tuesday morning and not clear eastern areas until Thursday or Friday” says Mr Duncan.

“The concern will be that this heavy rain is hitting all the regions that have recently suffered from flooding, such as Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay, Wellington and Canterbury”.

Monday is expected to be a mostly sunny, dry and warmer day right across New Zealand as high moves in.  The high will start to clear eastern regions on Tuesday allowing the Tasman Sea low to move in.

WeatherWatch.co.nz is suggesting that large highs will move in after this low, possibly marking an end to the non-stop line up of fronts of recent weeks.

*However in the latest computer models issued this morning another low is predicted north of New Zealand at Queens Birthday Weekend.  We’ll watch it closely to see just how much of an impact, if any, it will have on the long weekend.