Vector reports a power outage in the inner Auckland suburb of Grey Lynn this evening.

The outage reason and estimated time of restoration are both yet to be confirmed.

"Our crew are in the area investigating to find the cause of the outage. Not all faults are easy to locate, and sometimes it can take a while to find the problem," Vector said on its site.

"In some cases, before the fault can be repaired, our crew may need to wait for additional crews to help such as arborists or traffic management."

MetService says another pulse of rain is approaching Auckland from the north.

Nelson Tasman Emergency Management duty group controller Rob Smith told RNZ they were "quietly confident" the worst of the weather was over.

"Fortunately, the region has actually stood up really well today."

The peak of rain had passed in Golden Bay and it was moving towards the Richmond area, he told RNZ.

"At the moment, we’re actually – fingers crossed – looking really good ... we’re actually feeling quietly confident at the moment."

Over 200mm of rain has been recorded since midnight over the hills of the Tasman region, MetService said.

Smith said the resources in place from Fire and Emergency New Zealand, police and Hato Hone St John helped them feel more confident.

Flooding over recent weeks left homes in Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough uninhabitable, roads damaged and properties inundated with floodwaters in what was described by local authorities as a "one-in-100-year event".

- Reporting by Natasha Gordon

People across Waikato and Bay of Plenty are being urged to take extra care on the roads as severe weather conditions intensify across the region.

MetService has issued a heavy rain warning and a severe thunderstorm watch for the Coromandel Peninsula and parts of Bay of Plenty, with strong wind watches also in place.

The worst of the weather is forecast to hit late this afternoon and into the evening, coinciding with high tide around 10.30pm, increasing the risk of flooding in low-lying areas and coastal zones.

Conditions like these can change rapidly and make driving hazardous, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) said.

Motorists are urged to slow down, increase following distances and drive to the conditions.

Watch for surface flooding, slips, and debris and avoid driving through floodwaters.

NZTA crews are currently on standby to respond to any incidents, and any updates will be provided on official channels.

- Reporting by Natasha Gordon

 Heavy rain is making driving treacherous around Northland, with slips, downed trees and flooding affecting multiple areas of the state highway network.

"Due to flooding, State Highway 11 (SH11) is fully closed at the intersection with Waikare Road in Kawakawa," NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) said.

It is currently low tide, so flooding is expected to worsen in Northland, and the road is unlikely to reopen for some time.

Motorists are advised to delay their journey or allow extra time for a detour which is via State Highway 1 and State Highway 10.

This detour will add around 20 minutes to people’s journeys.

"Drivers are asked to please drive to the conditions and expect the unexpected – there may be surface water, slips, debris or roading contractors working around the next bend," NZTA said.

Motorists are asked to follow signposted speed limits and stop/go traffic management where highways are down to one lane.

- Reporting by Natasha Gordon

MetService meteorologist John Law told the Herald the Auckland region has already seen fierce winds and heavy rain throughout the day, which will continue into the night.

"We've got more wet weather still to come through as we head through the rest of today. We’ve got those severe weather watches and warnings across Auckland, and they’re going to carry on through the evening as well," Law said.

"I think that rain is slowly making its way across. There'll be some fairly heavy bursts in amongst it all."

The strongest wind gust to lash the Auckland region so far today was in Whangaparāoa, reaching 98km/h.

"Even out towards the Harbour Bridge, we’re looking at gusts of wind around 89-90km/h," Law said.

Looking towards the rest of the night, the heaviest localised downpours would particularly impact the eastern coast, he said.

- Reporting by Natasha Gordon

A number of routes across Auckland are taking motorists up to 50% longer than usual to travel through, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi says.

Auckland is under a severe thunderstorm watch until midnight tonight.

The region may get intense rainfall, which could cause surface and/or flash flooding, especially in low-lying areas such as streams, rivers or narrow valleys, and may also lead to slips, MetService said.

Driving conditions will also be hazardous, with surface flooding and poor visibility in heavy rain.

- Reporting by Natasha Gordon