Wild weather on Saturday caused slips to block west Auckland Karekare Beach Rd. The Metservice urged drivers to be cautious on SUnday as well, as slips and surface flooding were likely in areas of heavy rain.
Weather-wise, the final weekend of the school holidays has been bleak, and rain across the country is not expected to let up until later in the week.
The gale force winds that toppled trees and tangled power lines in Auckland on Saturday are, however, a thing of the past.
While not quite as a nasty as Saturday, Sunday's weather still makes picking a dry spot anywhere in New Zealand difficult, said Metservice meteorologist Ciaran Doorlin.
"No one's going to get sun, and everyone will see some kind of wet ... it'll be bleak," he said.
Picking the worst spot was easier: the Central North Island on Sunday, followed by both islands' east coasts on Monday.
"Roughly speaking, they'll likely be the most wet and getting the heaviest squalls," said Doorlin. Thunderstorms were also possible for the Central North Island until midday on Sunday.
He said rain would be persistent for Auckland throughout Sunday too, though winds would be "brisk" rather than the gale force bluster of Saturday.
A heavy rain warning is in place for Nelson, west of Motueka, until 1pm on Sunday, with up to 150mm expected to accumulate. Heavy rain warnings for the Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne north of Tokomaru Bay, Westland, and southern Canterbury were in place until Sunday morning.
The heavy rainfall could cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly, Doorlin said. Drivers were warned to be cautious, as flooding and slips were possible.
Doorlin said a "slightly odd" weather system was to blame for the lingering rain, as the country was pinched between two areas of high pressure.
By Monday, showers across the country would be thinning and the South Island especially could look forward to a clearer Tuesday.
Two fishermen were reported missing at sea on Saturday after their boat failed to return from a fishing competition off Great Barrier Island. The police maritime unit and the coastguard were working to find the boat, which had been due back on Friday afternoon.
In Auckland, more than 1000 homes lost power as strong gusts of wind tangled powerlines in the central suburb of Mt Roskill – causing a fire – and blew branches into the lines elsewhere. The storm came two and a half weeks after hurricane-force winds and heavy rain battered the city, cutting power to more than 100,000 homes.
A tree fell across West Auckland resident Myrddin Gwynedd's car on Saturday, shattering its windscreen and buckling its sides. Gwynedd had parked the car just minutes earlier.
Also in West Auckland, slips swept earth and shrubs across the road to Karekare Beach.
A cold front had brought some snow to the Crown Range in Central Otago, coating the road. Snow showers were also forecast for the Lindis pass on Saturday night, turning to rain by noon on Sunday.