Heavy rain, thunderstorms likely to kick off the week for North Island

North Islanders are in for a soggy start to the week, with forecast rain and a chance of thunderstorms for some areas.

Rain is forecast to fall over most of the North Island today, with the exception of the capital.

Showers could turn into localised heavy downpours for Auckland to Taihape, the Coromandel Peninsula and central areas such as Hawke's Bay.

Strong wind warnings were in place for several spots over the central and lower North Island this morning.

The NZ Transport Agency was urging motorists to take care over the Rimutaka Hill.

These regions had a moderate risk of thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening - though there was a risk these thunderstorms could become severe later in the day.

Other spots including Northland and Whanganui had a low risk of stormy weather, as did South Island areas such as Westland, Buller and northwest Nelson.

A series of fronts expected to move over the South Island during the afternoon and evening would bring a drop in temperatures and strong gusts.

The rain isn't expected to go anywhere as the week progresses. Wet and windy weather is forecast over the North Island until the end of the week.

The miserable weather follows on from a chaotic week of rain and flooding brought about by ex-Cyclone Fehi.

The aftermath of the tropical cyclone pummelled the country on Wednesday and Thursday last week.

The west coast of the South Island was hit hard by the weather chaos, as was Dunedin and Nelson.

Schools were closed, roads cut off and flights cancelled, with maximum gusts of 137km/h in Wellington.

Auckland was hit by the ex-Cyclone on Saturday. Two hikers were swept to their deaths in the Waitakere Ranges just after 5pm, while trying to cross a swollen river near Cascade Falls.

About 100 people were evacuated from houses in Piha and a group of 20 people were also trapped for three hours after a stream near Kitekite Falls flooded, stopping them from returning to their cars.