Auckland Severe Weather Warnings: Today & Radar

Anyone who lives on the Auckland isthmus knows the drill: the sky darkens, the wind swings west, and the phone lights up with a MetService alert. Right now, Thursday 29 October, Auckland’s warning screens are mostly quiet — Auckland Airport recorded 19°C, west winds at 33 km/h at 3pm, according to MetService’s 3-hourly observations page — but a warning and a watch are active elsewhere in New Zealand, and knowing where to look — and what the thresholds mean — is the difference between a wet afternoon and a flooded underpass.

Official source for NZ warnings: MetService (metservice.com) · Warning categories: Watch, Warning, Severe Thunderstorm Warning · Auckland emergency management authority: Auckland Emergency Management (aucklandemergencymanagement.govt.nz) · Typical hazardous weather for Auckland: Heavy rain, strong wind, thunder, hail

Twelve data points, one pattern: Auckland’s risk picture depends less on the sky than on which official page you check and what the warning thresholds actually say.

What are the severe weather warnings for Auckland today?

Check today’s MetService warnings

• MetService’s 3-hourly observations page, updated on 29 October 2026, showed one warning and one watch across New Zealand (MetService’s 3-hourly observations page).
• The national warnings page, updated on 28 October 2026, showed no severe thunderstorm warnings in force and described a west-to-northwest gale period affecting southern and central New Zealand rather than Auckland (MetService, New Zealand’s official weather authority).
• A Strong Wind Watch covered Wairarapa about and north of Martinborough, the Tararua District and Hawke’s Bay south of Hastings from 28 October 11pm to 29 October 3pm, with west-to-northwest winds approaching severe-gale strength in exposed places (MetService, New Zealand’s official weather authority).

Auckland’s own readings at 3pm on 29 October were mild: 19°C at Auckland Airport with west winds at 33 km/h and 0.0 mm of rain in the previous hour, 19°C at Whangaparāoa with west winds at 44 km/h, and 19°C at Whenuapai with west winds at 35 km/h (MetService’s 3-hourly observations page). Those winds are noticeable but well below the severe-gale criteria of a mean speed of 90 km/h or gusts above 110 km/h.

Where to see active watches and warnings

• The MetService national warnings page lists all active watches, warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings across New Zealand (MetService, New Zealand’s official weather authority).
• The 3-hourly observations page layers live station data with the national warning count (MetService’s 3-hourly observations page).
• Auckland Emergency Management may also issue local alerts and preparedness messaging for the region (Auckland Emergency Management, the region’s civil defence authority).

The pattern: Auckland can be free of formal warnings while the rest of the country is not, so “no current warning” should always be read as “no current warning for Auckland” — checked on the official page, not inferred from the sky.

The implication: a quiet warnings page is a snapshot, not a prediction — the next snapshot can change before the next shower.

What are the severe weather warnings for Auckland tomorrow?

Understanding the Severe Weather Outlook

• MetService’s severe weather outlook for Thursday 29 October 2026 said a front would move north through central and northern Aotearoa, followed by unsettled southwesterlies (MetService’s severe weather outlook).
• The same outlook rated the overall risk of severe weather as minimal, which MetService defines as less than a 10% chance of warning thresholds being met or exceeded (MetService’s severe weather outlook).
• Snow could affect higher-level roads in the lower South Island on Thursday — a reminder that while Auckland’s risk is low, the national map is busier (MetService’s severe weather outlook).

MetService’s confidence scale is worth learning because it tells you how seriously to take a day: minimal is below 10%, low is 10–30%, moderate is 30–60% and high is above 60% (MetService’s severe weather outlook). On 29 October, the national outlook sat at the bottom of that scale.

How to prepare for tomorrow’s weather

• Check the severe weather outlook each morning; it covers the next one to three days and signals whether watches are likely to appear.
• Bookmark the five-day forecast page; as of 25 October 2026 it displayed two warnings and two watches — Heavy Rain Warning—Orange, Strong Wind Warning—Orange, a Heavy Rain Watch and a Strong Wind Watch (MetService’s five-day forecast page).
• Remember that a watch issued today often becomes a warning tomorrow if conditions track closer to thresholds.

What this means: minimal risk is a planning input, not a guarantee. The front arriving overnight still brings a shift to unsettled southwesterlies, and if a watch appears for Auckland, the next morning’s warnings page decides your day.

Where can I find a map of severe weather warnings for Auckland?

Interactive warning maps on MetService

• MetService’s national warnings page includes an interactive map of active watches and warnings across New Zealand, with colour-coded status for each region (MetService, New Zealand’s official weather authority).
• The five-day forecast page also renders warnings on a map view spanning the next five days (MetService’s five-day forecast page).
• The 3-hourly observations page layers live station readings with the national warning display (MetService’s 3-hourly observations page).

Map legend and interpretation

• Watch: severe weather is possible — prepare and stay alert.
• Warning: severe weather is expected or occurring — take action.
• Severe Thunderstorm Warning: issued for thunderstorms expected to produce damaging hail, heavy rain or destructive winds.

The catch: a map is only useful if you zoom to the right district. Auckland’s status can differ from the rest of the upper North Island, and MetService’s own maps are the reliable reference because they update in real time as warnings change.

How do I use radar to track severe weather in Auckland?

Accessing Auckland radar data

• MetService’s radar page shows precipitation intensity and movement for the upper North Island, including the Auckland region (MetService’s radar page).
• Pair the radar with the 3-hourly observations page for live readings at Auckland Airport, Whangaparāoa and Whenuapai (MetService’s 3-hourly observations page).
• MetService advises that forecasts and warnings may be updated at any time, so refresh the radar alongside the warnings page during unsettled weather (MetService’s radar page).

Three Auckland stations told the same story at 3pm on 29 October: 19°C, dry, and west winds between 33 and 44 km/h. Radar in those conditions mostly shows light showers crossing the isthmus; the real value comes when a watch or warning is active and you need to know whether the heavy cell is over your suburb.

Reading radar images for heavy rain and storms

• Look at successive frames to see how fast a cell is moving and whether it is strengthening.
• Compare radar returns with station readings — the 3-hourly observations page tells you what actually reached the ground.
• If a severe thunderstorm watch or warning is active, use radar to track the cell’s path relative to your location.

Why this matters: radar turns a warning from a headline into a practical question — will this reach me in the next half hour? In Auckland’s fast-moving showers, that question decides whether you leave early or wait it out.

Can I get hourly updates on severe weather warnings for Auckland?

Where to find hourly forecasts and warnings

• MetService’s 3-hourly observations page is the closest thing to an hourly update, refreshed regularly with current conditions and the national warning count (MetService’s 3-hourly observations page).
• The five-day forecast page provides a day-by-day warning outlook alongside the forecast track (MetService’s five-day forecast page).
• Auckland Emergency Management publishes local emergency alerts and preparedness guidance for severe weather events (Auckland Emergency Management, the region’s civil defence authority).

Setting up alerts for frequent updates

• Make the MetService warnings page your default check during unsettled weather; it is the authoritative source.
• Third-party weather apps can push notifications, but their alert content traces back to official data — use MetService to confirm before you act.
• Do not expect a fixed hourly clock: MetService updates warnings whenever conditions change, so “check again soon” is the actual schedule (MetService’s radar page).

The trade-off: third-party apps buy convenience with a delay at the exact moment speed matters. In a fast-moving Auckland storm, the gap between a watch and a warning can change your afternoon — which is why the official page stays a habit for locals who have been through the 2023 floods.

What should I do when a severe weather warning is issued for Auckland?

MetService and Auckland Emergency Management both point to the same sequence: confirm the alert, identify the hazard, act on it, and keep monitoring until the risk passes. The steps below match the warning types that most often hit the isthmus.

1. Confirm the alert on the official MetService warnings page before acting on a forwarded screenshot (MetService, New Zealand’s official weather authority).
2. Identify what type of warning it is — heavy rain, strong wind or severe thunderstorm — and note the affected area and expiry time.
3. For heavy rain: clear drains around your property, move vehicles away from low-lying areas, and never drive through floodwater.
4. For strong wind: secure outdoor furniture, trim overhanging branches, and avoid exposed or coastal areas.
5. For severe thunderstorm: move indoors, stay away from windows, and avoid open areas and water.
6. Keep the radar and warnings pages open, and follow Auckland Emergency Management channels for local instructions (Auckland Emergency Management, the region’s civil defence authority).

What this means: preparation is the same for every alert type — know the hazard, protect the property, stay informed. The specific action changes, but the habit of checking official sources first does not.

The implication: preparation is a habit, not a reaction, and the habit starts with the official warnings page.

How Auckland’s warning history shapes today’s alerts

• 27 January 2023 — Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods: catastrophic rainfall and widespread flooding led to a state of emergency (Auckland Emergency Management).
• 9 May 2023 — MetService issued a red heavy rain warning for Auckland, with up to 120 mm expected in 24 hours (MetService, New Zealand’s official weather authority).
• 25 October 2026 — MetService’s five-day forecast page displayed two warnings and two watches: Heavy Rain Warning—Orange, Strong Wind Warning—Orange, a Heavy Rain Watch and a Strong Wind Watch (MetService’s five-day forecast page).
• 28–29 October 2026 — A Strong Wind Watch covered Wairarapa about and north of Martinborough, the Tararua District and Hawke’s Bay south of Hastings, with winds approaching severe-gale strength in exposed places (MetService, New Zealand’s official weather authority).
• 29 October 2026 — MetService rated the national severe weather risk minimal, while Auckland stations reported 19°C with west winds of 33–44 km/h (MetService’s 3-hourly observations page).

The pattern: the events that hurt Auckland most arrived quickly and were preceded by watches. A quiet outlook on 29 October is useful context, but it is not a reason to stop checking the warnings page — it is the calm before an overnight front moves north.

What’s confirmed — and what’s still unclear

The official picture is clear on thresholds and current status; the uncertainty sits in how quickly conditions change and whether a watch becomes a warning.

Confirmed by official sources

• MetService is New Zealand’s official source for severe weather warnings (MetService, New Zealand’s official weather authority).
• A heavy rain warning requires widespread rainfall above 50 mm in six hours or 100 mm in 24 hours (MetService, New Zealand’s official weather authority).
• Severe gale criteria are a minimum mean wind speed of 90 km/h or frequent gusts above 110 km/h (MetService, New Zealand’s official weather authority).
• No severe thunderstorm warnings were in force as of MetService’s 28 October 2026 update (MetService, New Zealand’s official weather authority).

Still genuinely unclear

• Whether the lower North Island Strong Wind Watch will be upgraded to a warning before it expires at 3pm on 29 October.
• Whether today’s minimal-risk outlook holds as the front moves north through central and northern Aotearoa.
• The exact timing of the shift to unsettled southwesterlies across Auckland.
• Whether localised heavy showers develop over the isthmus without ever triggering a formal warning.
• When the next MetService update will land — the warnings page runs on event-driven timing, not a fixed clock.

What this means: the threshold facts are not in doubt, but the forecast path is. That asymmetry is why MetService’s warnings page should be the referee in any argument about whether today’s weather is dangerous.

What the official guidance says

“Stay informed and get prepared with current weather warnings and watches.”

MetService — national warnings page (MetService, New Zealand’s official weather authority)

“Minimal: less than a 10% chance of warning thresholds being met or exceeded.”

MetService — severe weather outlook definition (MetService’s severe weather outlook)

The sliver of time between watch and warning is where Aucklanders need the official voice, not a forwarded screenshot. The first quote is the habit to build; the second is the calibration to understand.

What this means for Aucklanders

MetService’s warning system is layered by design: a watch asks you to prepare, a warning tells you to act. With the 29 October outlook rated minimal, Aucklanders have a rare quiet moment — and the region’s warning history says use it well. Bookmark the warnings page, learn the thresholds, and treat a watch as a rehearsal rather than a false alarm. For Aucklanders, the choice is clear: make MetService your first check in the morning, or you will be reading about the storm after it has already moved through.

Related reading: MetService severe weather outlook · MetService national warnings page

Frequently asked questions

The pattern across these answers: every tool — map, radar, app or alert — is a convenience layered on top of MetService’s official warnings. Start there, and you will know whether Auckland’s next storm is a watch, a warning, or a wet afternoon.