Photo: Unsplash / Daoudi Aissa
The MetService is reminding people to keep up to date with weather forecasts as heavy rain and damaging winds are expected for Auckland and Northland late tomorrow.
Meteorologist Ashlee Parkes said though the weather is fine for most of the country today, an active front approaching Aotearoa is going to change the situation.
She said the area that is most at risk is Tasman and Marlborough Sounds, which can expect a warning amount of rain during Monday.
"Keep up to date with the latest forecasts on the MetService website and be aware of your local Civil Defence and anything they have to say."
There is also a slight risk of tornado activity, she said.
"With the thunderstorm activity through Auckland and Northland during the second half of Sunday, rainfall rates between 10 and 25mm are possible, but the biggest danger with those thunderstorms is damaging wind gusts and the small risk of tornadoes."
Parkes also said a heavy rain warning in place for northern Hawkes' Bay and Gisborne will expire early Sunday morning.
The region was one of the worst hit areas during Cyclone Gabrielle.
MetService has issued orange heavy rain warnings for Gisborne and Hawke's Bay, north of Napier.
A wave warning is also in place for parts of the Tairāwhiti coast this weekend.
Combined waves of up to four and a half metres are expected from Mahanga to Potikirua Point between midday and early morning Sunday.
Civil Defence said the highest period of risk is within two hours of high tide, just before 8pm.
Hawke's Bay Civil Defence said the heaviest rains are expected to fall today and into the early hours of tomorrow.
It said all emergency services, local councils and the regional council have teams on standby.
Isolated communities are restocked with emergency supplies and State Highway Two at Devil's Elbow has been closed as a precaution.
Between 40 and 110 millimetres of rain could fall in the Esk Valley.
Along the Mangaone River, water levels are expected to exceed the temporary culvert crossing at Rissington Bridge and the pedestrian bridge at the Dartmoor crossing.
Motorists are asked to drive to the conditions and be on the watch for flooding.
Residents in Tokomaru Bay are also having to brave more bad weather.
Civil Defence controller Lillian Te Hau-Ward said services are available for whānau who feel unsafe.
Te Hau-Ward said the orange heavy warning is expected to stay in place for longer.
"Initially it was for a 32-hour period and then it got extended to I think to a 42-hour period.
"We've opened up Tuatini Marae for any whānau who were feeling a bit anxious and just needed to move."
Te Hau-Ward said the rain they were seeing now was "nothing" compared to the cyclone.