By 1News Reporters
2:32pm

Further severe weather is forecast to impact both islands, bringing heavy
rain, unusually strong winds for the capital and cancelled Cook Strait ferry services.

A low pressure system deepening and moving across the country today and tomorrow has sparked a huge amount of weather warnings.

MetService has issued orange heavy rain warnings for Bay of Plenty east of Opotiki, Canterbury about and north of Amberley, Canterbury between Amberley and Timaru including Christchurch and Banks Peninsula, and the Kaikoura coast and ranges.

An orange strong wind warning is in place from tomorrow for both sides of
Cook Strait, affecting Wellington, coastal areas of Wairarapa and coastal Marlborough south of Blenheim, including the Kaikoura coast.

Gusts of up to 130km/h could hit the capital.

Orange heavy snow warnings were in force overnight for the Canterbury High Country, with 12 to 20cm of snow expected to fall above 800 metres.

Several watches were in place, including heavy rain watches for the eastern
Bay of Plenty, Wairarapa and Wellington.

Strong wind watches were also forecast for Auckland, the Coromandel
Peninsula, northern Waikato, inland Wairarapa, southern Hawke's Bay,
Horowhenua and Kapiti Coast, the Marlborough Sounds, and the West Coast.

System 'covering almost entire country' - MetService
MetService's Heather Keats said the storm was "very widespread".

"It's covering almost the entire country, so most of us will get at least a little taste of this system."

There was a "large amount of impactful rain" forecast for the east coast of
the South Island, including a high chance of a red warning for Canterbury
north and about Amberley which was "not to be ignored", Keats said.

Wellington was used to wind, but she said it was at "unusual levels even for them", with southerly gusts approaching 130km/h alongside high sustained wind speeds possible.

"When the wind is combined with the swell, and also the king tides that are expected, there will be elevated impacts from this weather, coastal
inundation and erosion just to name a couple," Keats said.

She said it had been a "really wet and warm April", especially for the upper North Island.

"We did have a relatively quiet start to 2025, so it does feel like all the rough weather is now pushing over us but we are well into autumn now and we
can expect the weather to become unstable at times."

Cook Strait ferries cancelled, Mangamuka Gorge remains closed
Forecast swells of up to 7 metres have seen a large number of cancellations
on both the Interislander and Bluebridge over the coming days.

State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has been closed since yesterday
by a slip.

The New Zealand Transport Agency said contractors had been monitoring
movement of the hillside following recent heavy rain and that the new slip
was expected.

"The geology and varying terrain through the Mangamuka Gorge mean it will always be susceptible to some movement during severe weather, like what we've seen over the past 2-3 weeks."

The risk of major slips had been "significantly reduced" by the $204 million
in repairs to the route, but the area remained susceptible to "occasional,
less severe slips" due to the Maungataniwha Range ground conditions.

"Our contractors are working hard to minimise disruption and get the road reopened as soon as it is safe to do so."

Full list of weather warnings and watches
Heavy rain warnings - orange

Bay of Plenty east of Opotiki - 29 hours from 10am Wednesday to 3pm Thursday

Canterbury about and north of Amberley - 35 hours from 10am Wednesday to 9pm Thursday

Canterbury between Amberley and Timaru, including Christchurch and Banks Peninsula - 32 hours from 10am Wednesday to 6pm Thursday

Kaikoura coast and ranges - 44 hours from 10am Wednesday to 6am Friday

Strong wind warnings - orange

Wellington - 21 hours from 3am Thursday to midnight

Coastal areas of Wairarapa - 15 hours from 9am Thursday to midnight

Coastal Marlborough south of Blenheim, including the Kaikoura Coast - 21
hours from 1am Thursday to 10pm.

Heavy snow warnings - orange

Canterbury High Country south of the Rangitata River - 12 hours from 9pm Wednesday to 9am Thursday

Heavy rain watches

Bay of Plenty about and west of Opotiki - 11 hours from 10am to 9pm Wednesday

Wairarapa - 8 hours from 1pm to 9pm Wednesday

Wellington - 45 hours from 6pm Wednesday to 3pm Friday

Strong wind watches

Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula, and Waikato north of Hamilton - 5 hours from 7am Thursday to noon

Inland areas of Wairarapa, the Tararua District, and Hawke's Bay south of Hastings - 12 hours from 1pm Thursday to 1am Friday

Horowhenua and Kapiti Coast - 13 hours from 9am Thursday to 10pm

Marlborough Sounds - 18 hours from 6pm Wednesday to noon Thursday

Buller, Grey and Westland Districts, also the Nelson Lakes - 27 hours from
noon Wednesday to 3pm Thursday

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