High gusts have been recorded in the Far North and flights have been cancelled as the effects of ex-cyclone Hola start to be felt in New Zealand.
MetService issued new warnings of heavy rain and gales for most of the top of the North Island, with the storm expected to brush the eastern side of the north of the country over the next 24 hours.
Wind gusts could reach 120 kilometres an hour, with significant rainfalls forecast for Northland, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula and Gisborne.
On the East Cape, emergency services were preparing for the storm.
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* Cyclone Hola moves south towards NZ
Estimates placed Hola to be lying to the east of Cape Reinga between 1 and 4pm on Monday, and at 7pm it was expected to be about 250km east northeast of Auckland.
However, the storm's effects would be short-lived, with the system spinning south-east of the country on Tuesday.
Wind gusts of up to 117kmh had been recorded at Kaeo, Northland, MetService said, while four flights from Northland airports had been cancelled.
"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. 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," Air New Zealand said.
EAST CAPE READIES FOR STORM
On the North Island's East Cape, Tairawhiti Civil Defence Emergency Management was preparing for the arrival of ex-Cyclone Hola with its five Community Link groups activated and extra resources sent to the top of the East Coast.
"The current forecast has rain developing from mid-afternoon and increasing in intensity from early morning through to 6am Tuesday," Emergency manager Louise Bennett said.
"Severe wind gusts are forecast from 7pm tonight, particularly north of Tolaga Bay. A high tide at around 3.30am could bring storm surges and wave run-ups into the district's rivers, estuaries and drains as river levels peak at around the same time.
"Gisborne District Council staff have been checking essential infrastructure to ensure its free of debris and in working order. River wardens and farmers have been notified of the potential for rivers to reach high levels.
"Fire and Emergency NZ will send extra resources into the top of the East Coast to provide security and quick response for local communities," Bennett said.
People should stay home on Monday night "and prepare this afternoon for the probability of high winds and a lot of rain."
"People are advised to listen to the radio and keep an eye on Tairawhiti CDEM Facebook page, Council's website gdc.govt.nz and flood monitoring models. The situation continues to be monitored."
Civil Defence Northland urged people to take "basic precautions" to minimise the risk of damage.
That included trimming back overhanging branches, making sure gutters and drains were clear, and checking boat moorings, sails and covers.
BOATIES WARNED
Hola, which had been a tropical cyclone, had been downgraded to an ex-tropical low by MetService, but would still carry the risk of damaging weather.
While rain was not yet heavy, "the wind's quite strong along the coast - the Hauraki Gulf and east coast of Northland but it's all really exposed coastal places, it's really for boaties that it's significant," meteorologist Arno Dyason said.
The low centre was expected to stay offshore to the northeast, with associated weather affecting the upper North Island.
"We've always said from the start this is a very unpredictable low centre," Dyason said. "The track of it has been shifting a bit to the west, then further to the east. Different models had shown much different outcomes. It was really tricky up to this point," he said.
'PRETTY INTENSE'
Niwa principal scientist - forecasting Chris Brandolino said Hola "would not be a huge event".
"By Sunday evening it became abundantly clear we would escape the most intense impacts."
Despite that, the rain would be "pretty intense at times", specially over the Coromandel Peninsula, towards Gisborne and for parts of Northland, Brandolino told RNZ on Monday morning.
The strongest winds would stay offshore, and for most places would not arrive until Tuesday morning.
There was still a risk of slips and localised flooding, particularly for the Coromandel Peninsula and Gisborne.
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