Motorists warned to take care as wind gusts on Auckland's Harbour Bridge

Tuesday, 14 August 2018

Strong gusts are battering Auckland's Harbour bridge.

Motorists travelling on Auckland's Harbour Bridge are being urged to take extra care as the wild weather begins.

NZTA said motorcyclists and high-sided vehicles should take extra care as the winds were currently 'very gusty'.

It's going to be stormy in the Auckland region with gusts of up to 100kmh predicted.

TAKE EXTRA CARE: WINDS GUSTING ON AKL HBR BRIDGE

Motorcyclists & high-sided vehicles are advised to take extra care crossing the Harbour Bridge today with winds very gusty currently & forecast to increase. ^TP pic.twitter.com/zPKrtyxvds

— NZTA Akld & Nthlnd (@NZTAAkl) August 13, 2018

MetService was warning of gales for a stormy Tuesday across the upper North Island.

Meteorologist Mark Bowe said that earlier reports of thunderstorms had been 'pulled back' and only heavy showers were now predicted.

Bowe said Auckland was also being hit with strong westerlies that could rise to gale in exposed places.

'We do have a severe weather watch in force for that.'

In the Auckland region and Coromandel Peninsula, gusts could get to 90kmh.

Hey Auckland: A gusty afternoon and evening for us, with a Watch in place for gusts 90-100 km/hr. Things improve tomorrow, with both showers and winds easing as the day progresses. ^GG @AucklandCDEM

— MetService (@MetService) August 13, 2018

Bowe said the bad weather was also likely to affect Great Barrier Island.

Northland would have showers in the morning with strong westerlies from this afternoon, Bowe said.

From Northland to Bay of Plenty and Taumarunui, MetService was forecasting westerlies to rise to gale strength in exposed places from around midday.

From Northland to Taranaki in the west, and for the Coromandel Peninsula, the prediction was for heavy and squally showers on Tuesday afternoon.

For Taumarunui, Taihape, Taupō and Bay of Plenty rain with heavy falls and possible thunderstorms on Tuesday morning was expected to turn to to showers during the morning. More thunderstorms were possible during the afternoon and evening.

The stormy weather was the result of a trough with embedded fronts moving eastward across the country during the day.

A low on the trough was forecast to cross the central North Island and lie close to Gisborne around midnight.

The risk of small tornados was restricted to eastern coastal areas, between East Cape and lower Northland, during Tuesday morning: 'If any small tornados do occur, they will be short-lived and very localised,' MetService said.

MetService meteorologist Philippa Murdoch said a rain band crossed the upper North Island overnight and by 6am Tuesday was through eastern Bay of Plenty, stretching down to around Levin.

Some of the heaviest rain associated with that band was in Whitianga, where nearly 21mm was recorded between midnight and 2am.

The Thames-Coromandel District Council said while there had been no reports of slips, flooding or road closures overnight, there were high tides forecast for around 9am and motorists needed to take care driving.

The lower North Island and top of the South Island are expected to get occasional rain, and it could get heavy about northern Gisborne and northwest Nelson during Tuesday morning.

Canterbury could get scattered light rain, specially from late afternoon, while in Otago and Southland scattered rain is forecast to mostly clear during the afternoon.