Today's Team New Zealand homecoming parade in Auckland will go ahead rain, shower or shine.

Thousands of people are expected to cheer on the America's Cup champions during their one-hour parade down Queen Street.

PHOTOS: America's Cup parade

After the parade the team will sail out from the Viaduct Basin, passing Wynyard Quarter, Princes Wharf and Queens Wharf.

MORE: Team New Zealand touch down on Kiwi soil

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The parade is likely to bring the central city to a standstill, and cause traffic delays around the city.

Roads around Queens Street and the Quay Street waterfront will be closed as thousands of people cheer on the America's Cup champions from 12.30 this afternoon.

Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Barnett said parade-goers should allow time to find a good viewing spot.

"Leave early, make arrangements, use public transport, and most importantly allow time and therefore allow plenty of opportunity to celebrate."

Barnett said it won't be a typical business day, with some people taking the day off work and others knocking off early or watching the parade in their lunch break.

"Employers will probably be a bit flexible about having people out there watching the parade, and so they should. It's going to to be a big day for celebrating the success of these heroes."

The return of the Auld Mug to the City of Sails will mark an historic occasion, with Team New Zealand being the first syndicate to regain the America's Cup.

The parade will follow a similar route to Team New Zealand's victory parade after they first won the America's Cup back in 1995.

Heart of the City chief executive Viv Beck said: "it's great to see the team back and great to see the Cup back," and the parade will be another once-in-a-lifetime event.

"It's particularly exciting for central Auckland to see the parade down Queen Street, which is historically very important for the city.

Excitement has been building for the parade since the first details of the event were revealed on Newstalk ZB last week.

Beck said there's a sense of celebration in the central city, both for today's parade and for the next America's Cup defence in 2021.

"People are lining up to see the team arrive and bring the Cup back to New Zealand, and are generally excited about what this means for the city."

Mayor Phil Goff said he was looking forward to welcoming Team New Zealand and the America’s Cup back to the city.

"While Queen Street was originally ruled out as a parade route, city agencies have worked collaboratively to bring the parade down Auckland's main street.

"The heart of city... is also synonymous with past America’s Cup successes.”

The parade gets underway at 12.30 this afternoon.

PHOTOS: Team New Zealand lifts the America's Cup

Weather forecast 

The central city is forecast to get heavy rain this morning and late this afternoon.

MetService meteorologist Brian Mercer said the weather should settle down for a bit during the middle of the day for the parade.

"From late morning to the early afternoon we are still expecting a few showers. They're not going to be particularly heavy but it will be a little bit damp."

Mercer said the heavens could open as people are making their way home after the parade.

"It will be quite a damp day. The heavy falls are going to be in the morning and or into the late afternoon into the evening."

Public Transport

Bus

Additional buses will run from Takapuna, Birkenhead, Howick, Botany, Panmure, Ellerslie, Mt Eden Rd, Tamaki Drive, Manukau Rd, and from Northern Express stations between 10am and 3pm.

Frequent services will be operating every 15 minutes along Dominion Rd, Sandringham Rd, New North Rd and Great North Rd.

The City Link service will not be operating between 10am and 3pm.

Train

There will be an extra 11,000 seats on trains heading to Britomart, right at the centre of the parade route.

Trains will be running every 20 minutes from 10am to 3pm, with the exception of the Onehunga Line.

Ferry

There will be extra seating on ferries from Birkenhead, Bayswater, Half Moon Bay, Pine Harbour, West Harbour, Gulf Harbour and Hobsonville.

There will be an additional sailing from Hobsonville at 10am and an additional eight sailings on the Devonport service, every 15 minutes until 11.45am, then again from 3.30pm leaving the Downtown Ferry Terminal.

The ferries arrive at the Downtown Ferry Terminal on Quay St, part of the parade route.

Walking and cycling

Use the Nelson St or Quay St Cycleways. 
  

Road closures

 

Map of road closures.

9am to 2pm: Wakefield Street, Rutland Street, Lorne Street.

10am to 3pm: Queen Street, Wyndham Street, Shortland street, Fort Street.

10am to 5pm: Customs Street West, Market Place.

11am to 2.30pm: Wellesley Street West, Wellesley Street East, Victoria Street West, Victoria Street East, Bowen Avenue, Customs Street East, Sturdee Street, Lower Albert Street.

11am to 3pm: Quay Street, Hobson Street, Gore Street.

 

Parking restrictions

9am to 3pm: Victoria Street West (between Franklin and Halsey), Queen Street, Customs Street East, Anzac Avenue, Wakefield Street, Beach Road, Quay street, Mayoral Drive, Lower Hobson Street, Customs Street West, Beaumont Street.