Parts of Northland were underwater by lunchtime today as torrential downpours hit the region.

The MetService extended its heavy rain and severe thunderstorm watches for Northland from 6am through to 6pm today.

Today began without incident despite downpours overnight on Saturday.

The first reports of weather-related problems began just before 7am on Sunday when a tree came down on powerlines at Whangārei’s Riverside Drive.

The downed tree in Whangārei caused a power outage to about 80 homes on Tanekaha Dr, Riverside Dr, and Kauri Place.

At about 9.30am a slip closed the Mangamuka Gorgeon State Highway 1, which had only reopened in December after a two-year closure because of damage from severe weather.

New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said the most recent slip was expected to take workers a day to clear.

The Brynderwyns escaped the downpours unscathed. The vital portion of SH1 was already undergoing repairs after a slip during former tropical Cyclone Tam blocked the south-bound lane.

By lunchtime there was extensive flooding in parts of the Far North and in Whangārei in places such as Whangārei Heads and Hikurangi.

Flooding on Ross Rd in Parua Bay, Whangārei. Photo / Kathy Wallace

A vehicle was reportedly towed from floodwaters in Punaruku, near Whangaruru, while another remained stuck.

Motorist Tory Dixon was travelling south from Peria, east of Kaitāia, to Auckland for work today when he hit flooding.

“Once I got to State Highway 1, heading towards the Mangamukas, the flooding was extensively bad coming over the bridges, a lot of vehicles stopped.”

Dixon said houses in Pāmapūria, a small settlement on SH1, had flooded throughout and vehicles there were also being submerged.

A vehicle had to be towed from floodwaters in Punaruku, while another remained stuck. Photo / Whangaruru Residents and Ratepayers Association

MetService reported Northland had received the most rain in the country today as the wet weather also closed in on Auckland.

Glenbervie Forest in Whangārei received 126.2mm of rainfall in the 24 hours up to 2pm, and 31mm of that fell in an hour from 1pm.

Before then, Kerikeri had seen the worst of the deluge. The Bay of Islands town recorded 108.4mm of rainfall between 3pm on Saturday and 1pm today.

Other weather stations with the highest rainfall totals for that period were Dugmore’s Rock at Ngunguru with 97.5mm; Touwai at Weta (between Kerikeri and Mangōnui), 96.1mm; and Waitangi Forest, 77.6mm.

Whangārei recorded 40.6mm of rainfall during the time frame.

Significant hourly downpours were also recorded by MetService on Sunday. McDonald Rd in Waitangi received 29mm between 7am and 8am; 22.5mm between 8am and 9am at Dugmore’s Rock; 22.4mm up to 7am at Kerikeri; and 20.4mm up to 8am at Waitangi Forest.

There was flooding in Kerikeri on Sunday as the town's waterways struggled to cope with heavy deluges of rain. Photo / Ian Johnston

Forecasters said the heavy rain that first hit Northland on Saturday afternoon was because an active front had been slowly moving closer to the north of the North Island.

The front would continue to do so for the next few days, pushing away a high-pressure system that had previously dominated.

“There remains a lot of uncertainty with respect to the amounts and distribution of significant heavy rain in Northland, and people are advised to stay up to date with latest forecasts,” the MetService said.

After heavy overnight rain, the Kaeo River webcam was nearing its yellow flood warning line early Sunday morning, putting nearby SH10 at risk. Photo / Northland Regional Council

The weekend’s rain was the third in recent weeks, breaking a drought that had previously resulted in a complete fire ban for Northland.

More rain is forecast for the week ahead with the weather likely to make headlines again before the weekend.

However, sun lovers could expect a return to clearer skies in a fortnight, a MetService spokesman said.

Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20years experience in journalism, much of which she spent court reporting. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.