Wild weather on way for parts of NZ

Civil Defence teams are on standby ahead of what's likely to be a wet and windy end of the week for many parts of the country.

A large low pressure system from the Tasman Sea will move slowly across northern New Zealand during the next few days.

It will spread a band of rain and southeast gales over the North Island and upper South Island, which could down power lines, raise river levels, cause surface flooding and make driving hazardous.

MetService has issued a severe weather warning for Buller, Westland, Marlborough, Taumarunui, Taupo, Taihape, Gisborne and Hawke's Bay.

The southeast gales are likely to become severe for a time about parts of northern Westland, Buller, the Marlborough Sounds and central North Island high country tomorrow.

The heaviest rain is expected about the ranges of northern Hawke's Bay and Gisborne tomorrow afternoon and evening.

Gisborne Civil Defence says it is watching conditions in the region.

A separate severe weather watch is in effect for Northland, the Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, Wanganui, Manawatu, Kapiti-Horowhenua, Wellington, Nelson and Westland.

Rain is likely to be briefly heavy about the upper North Island today and early Friday, becoming more persistent in Gisborne and Hawke's Bay from Friday to Saturday morning.

Fire services said trees and power lines were brought down in high winds around 4pm in Rawhiti and Wainui in the north of the North Island.

They could not confirm how many were down or whether any roads had been blocked as a result.

A MetService spokeswoman said the closest weather station to both locations was in Kerikeri, where gusts had reached about 56kmh, which wasn't unusually strong.

However, Wainui and Rahwiti were a "bit more exposed" she said, and could be getting stronger gusts.

At the tip of the North Island, Cape Reinga, winds reached 113kmh.

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