Rain has set in across northern New Zealand this afternoon with gale force winds forming in a narrow area between Whangarei and the Hauraki Gulf.

The rain is going to get heavier as the day progresses with winds rising.  Gales are possible in eastern and coastal parts of Auckland however WeatherWatch.co.nz doesn’t believe they will be very damaging.

But it’s heavy rain along the Gisborne and Hawkes Bay ranges that are likely to cause problems.  WeatherWatch.co.nz says on top of the 250mm predicted by MetService it’s possible that another 150mm may fall after that, potentially bringing the total to somewhere around 400mm for the ranges.

While this is simply a guesstimate at this stage it reflects the seriousness of this event for eastern farms between Wairoa and the tip of East Cape.