Heavy rain is beginning to ease across the lower North Island. The heavy band of rain, fed by moisture laden northerlies all night, is clearing to the east this afternoon.

In the past 45 minutes rain has cleared in Taranaki and Kapiti, with Manawatu expected to see conditions clearing in the following hour or so.

Head weather analyst Philip Duncan says one or two showers, some heavy, may spread into Kapiti and Manawatu later today but the worst is definitely over.

Meanwhile a stream of rain is spreading from Northland to Auckland. The rain isn’t likely to lift until after dark. Mr Duncan says there’s a risk of rain continuing all night in some northern areas and that it’s a wait and see game as computer models used by the Weather Watch Centre seem to be at odds with the actual weather. “Weather forecasting isn’t an exact science and despite our models and MetService predicting rain to ease there is the chance it could continue all night”.
 

RUGBY UPDATE

Mr Duncan says conditions are looking increasingly better for tonight’s rugby game in Dunedin with the risk of showers now almost completely gone.