Severe downpours, thunderstorms and strong wind gusts up to 100km/h are set to batter the North Island as an active weather system makes its way south.

The wild weather is set to return to much of the North Island from this afternoon after last week’s sunshine.

A low-pressure system will move in and continue to cause disruption overnight and even threaten to close the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

The wet and windy conditions will stretch into tomorrow and extend to the South Island, MetService said.

It has issued multiple weather watches and warnings, which have the potential to be upgraded as the system begins to bear down.

Multiple regions are at risk of thunderstorms, MetService said.

Northland faces a moderate risk this afternoon and evening, including the possibility of small tornadoes in the east.

For Great Barrier Island, Auckland north of Takapuna, and Coromandel Peninsula north of Pauanui, the thunderstorm risk is moderate from the evening.

MetService meteorologist Braydon White told the Herald the system will be relatively fast-moving and is expected to pass through the country within a few days.

“It’s one of those low systems that likes to come down from the north, dump a bunch of rain on us over us and then run away.”

White said MetService expects the strongest gusts to reach between 90km/h and 100km/h in exposed places.

“The rain will definitely start to ease off as it sinks south.

“There is the potential for downpours over Northland today and over Coromandel Peninsula and Western Bay of Plenty tomorrow morning.”

As the system moves further south tomorrow, White said, passing Taranaki and Hawke’s Bay, rain levels should ease, although strong winds are likely to persist.

“The wind will still potentially be quite strong. And even in places where we don’t have a wind watch yet, like Kāpiti Coast, Horowhenua, they’re potentially going to see some gusts of 80km/h.

“They don’t see wind like that too often,” White said.

What’s in store for Auckland?

White said Aucklanders can expect the rain to pick up from about 4pm today and continue to remain heavy until midnight.

A wind alert is in place for the Auckland Harbour Bridge between 8pm and 11pm tonight, with strong gusts expected to reach around 90km/h.

If wind gusts reach this threshold, the NZ Transport Agency said it might close all lanes if it’s unsafe for any vehicle to be on the bridge and the bridge structure is vulnerable to vehicle impacts.

High winds of 75-85km/h are also forecast between 2am and 4am tomorrow.

Severe weather watches and warnings

An orange heavy rain warning is in place from 4pm today until 9am tomorrow for the Bay of Plenty, and Gisborne/Tairawhiti north of Tokomaru Bay.

A heavy rain watch is in place for Northland until 10pm tonight.

The same warning is in place for Auckland and Great Barrier Island from 1pm until 2am tomorrow.

The Coromandel Peninsula is also under a heavy rain watch from 2pm today until 2am tomorrow.

A strong wind watch is in place until 11pm for Northland and midnight for Auckland and Great Barrier Island.

Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato near the Kaimai Range, and Bay of Plenty west of Maketu are under the same warning from 8pm tonight until 5am tomorrow.

Taranaki will also be under a strong wind watch from 10pm tonight until 10am tomorrow.

As the system continues to move south, Wellington and Wairarapa will also be under a strong wind watch from 7am until 3pm tomorrow.