A stormy start to spring

An area of low pressure is forecast to bring periods of heavy rain to the upper and central North Island on Monday and Tuesday. Easterly gales are also expected for many parts of northern and central New Zealand.

"A low pressure system, currently sitting northwest of the country, is deepening and heading our way, bringing heavy rain to the North Island on Monday andTuesday", said MetService meteorologist Emma Blades. "A Severe Weather Watch is place for heavy rain from Northland, across to the Western Bay of Plenty, and down to the Waikato - this region includes Auckland," commented Blades.

As the low pressure system tracks across the country, a strong moist easterly flow will generate strong winds across northern and central New Zealand, with the potential for easterly gales to become severe. A Watch has been issued for western parts of the North Island and upper South Island.

As this is a developing situation, we advise people to keep up to date with the latest forecasts, as some areas may get upgraded to Warnings, and further areas could be added to the Watch.

For the latest forecast, Warnings and Watches visithttp://www.metservice.com/warnings/home or on mobile devices go tom.metservice.com. You can also follow our updates on MetService TV, at MetService New Zealand on Facebook, @metservice on Twitter and atblog.metservice.com

ENDS

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