Ex-tropical cyclone Hola is side-swiping New Zealand, with Northland drenched this morning and rain clouds hovering over Auckland.
The storm will also deliver rain to Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne later today and overnight, but it is expected to be short-lived.
Heavy rain started falling in the Far North earlier today, as Hola began its strike on New Zealand - but there is hope for many residents, with predictions the storm will peter out by tomorrow.
Winds were reaching 120km/h in Northland this morning, the MetService said.
Air New Zealand cancelled flights in Whangarei and Kerikeri this morning.
"Three one-way services between Kerikeri and Auckland and three one-way services between Whangarei and Auckland have been cancelled due to weather this morning," a spokeswoman said.
"Customers booked to travel today are advised to keep an eye on the arrivals and departures page of Air New Zealand's website for up to date flight information."
MetService meteorologist Arno Dyason said the eye of Hola was still to the north of New Zealand, but Northland had started seeing the effects.
Wind gusts of between 100 to 130km/h are expected in exposed places as the weakening cyclone slides down the northeastern side of the upper North Island today.
Downpours of 100 to 150mm are forecast today in Northland and to 3am tomorrow around Gisborne, and up to 130mm on Great Barrier Island by 11pm tonight.
WeatherWatch NZ said Hola would also bring a significant storm surge with "extremely dangerous" seas and coastal conditions.
There were currently 9m waves out at sea, and once it reached New Zealand there could be 4 to 6m swells near eastern Northland and East Cape.
Hola - the third major storm to strike the country this year - is forecast to be gone by early tomorrow.
"The low is expected to track to the northeast of the North Island, with the strongest winds and rainfall in the southern quadrant, affecting Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel and Gisborne," Dyason said.
"But there is still some uncertainty about its exact effects."
It is expected to be out to sea off the East Cape by midnight, and mostly gone by tomorrow morning.
