The Hutt River (File pic) Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
Heavy rain and thunderstorms are hitting parts of the North Island, with eastern Bay of Plenty expected to receive the biggest downpours.
An orange level rain warning was in place on Sunday night for the region east of Ōpōtiki until 6am on Monday, with up to 90mm expected.
Heavy rain and severe thunderstorm watches were also in place across the upper North Island, although heavy rain watches in Waikato and northern Taranaki were due to lift at 9pm on Sunday.
The Hutt City Council is monitoring the Waiwhetū Stream as the Hutt River in Lower Hutt rises to its highest level in a year following heavy rain.
The council's director of economy and development, Jon Kingsbury, says there is also surface flooding in the suburb of Alicetown and other areas.
"We've had quite a lot of rain in Lower Hutt since early this morning and it peaked early afternoon. As a result the Hutt River rose to the highest it's been all year and we needed to close the Riverbank Car Park as well as the roads around it."
Some cars had to be moved out of car park quickly when it was relaised how fast the river was rising, Kingsbury says.
Harcourt Werry Drive, Block Road, and the intersection of Barnes Road and Port Road were all closed by flooding.
Those roads and the Riverbank Car Park will all be closed overnight, due to surface flooding.
Hutt City Council said street cleaning crews would be out unblocking sumps and clearing surface flooding overnight.
Kingsbury said today's events reiterate the importance of the Riverlink project with improved flood protection.
"Once the stopbanks have been built as well as all the transport connections the city will be protected from events such as this."
He expected all roads to re-open by 6am on Monday.
In Auckland and Northland, heavy rain and severe thunderstorm watches were due to take effect from 7pm, and last until 5am Monday.
Further south, overnight snowfall road warnings were in place for alpine passes along State Highway 73, including Porters Pass and Arthur's Pass.
️⛈️Weather Outlook for the Rest of Today and Tomorrow
— MetService (@MetService) May 18, 2025
North Island: Periods of rain, some of it heavy, particularly in areas under current severe weather watches & warnings. Rain is expected to ease from midday tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/Nios7Ap4DY
Heavy wind and rain lashed both the North and South Island overnight and on Sunday morning.
In the lower North Island, a heavy wind warning was in place in Wellington until 1pm and a wind watch was due to expire at 3pm.
There was also a heavy rain warning till 4pm in Tararua Ranges, and a watch until 3pm in Wellington, Horowhenua and Kāpiti Coast.
Weather alerts across the North Island on 18 May, 2025. Photo: MetService
MetService meteorologist Kgolofelo Dube told RNZ the fastest wind gusts recorded in the past 12 hours were on Mount Hutt at 174kph and Wellington's Mount Kaukau at 164kph.
Dube said the South Island's weather had been driven by two cold fronts, while in the North Island, a low pressure system had caused the windy, rainy conditions.
She said Mt Taranaki and parts of Tasman had seen the largest downpours.
On Mt Taranaki, 140mm of rain had fallen from 5pm Saturday to 8.30am on Sunday, while 117mm fell over an 11-hour period from 9pm Saturday in Tasman's Collingwood.
In the central North Island, South Taranaki, Whanganui and Manawatū were under a wind watch until 3pm.
Much of the Waikato was under a rain watch and a heavy rain warning was in play until 5pm on Mount Taranaki.
From later Monday, an extended period of dry settled weather was on the way for most of the country, Niwa said.
From later Monday, after this recent spell of active weather ends, high pressure () will mean an extended period of settled & dry weather for most of NZ.
— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) May 18, 2025
Looking farther ahead...
...active & unusually warm weather may return in 7 days or so as low pressure approaches (). pic.twitter.com/bfY3SaAHOX
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