By Ollie Ritchie
The sunny summer weather came to a sudden halt in the north, with stormy conditions forcing campers to pack up early and head home.
But those who've chosen to stay put and stick it out tonight could be waiting for some time.
Winds up to 120km/h hit parts of Northland, making for not-so-happy campers and torrential downpour flooded the campsite at Uretiti, south of Whangarei.
Tents, marquees and gazebos all took a hammering as the rain flooded in.
The rough sea battered a yacht that ran aground at Ruakaka last Saturday, the storm only further denting the owners' hopes it could be saved.
After five days of sunshine in the Coromandel, the heavy rain set in last night and left more wet campers at Hot Water Beach.
The beaches were deserted today, but there were a few making the most of the big swells.
A severe weather warning remains in place for Northland, Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsular into Sunday morning.
The storm is set to move south.
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