Wet 'n' windy: Severe gales, heavy rain to batter parts of country

A wet and windy weekend is on the way for the bottom half of the country, with a 24-hour drenching inbound for some and others set for an early winter blasting and severe gales gusting to 130km/h. 

A strong northwest airflow is expected to be followed by a front moving on to the south of the South Island tonight, before moving north over southern and central New Zealand tomorrow and into Sunday, MetService said in its latest severe weather warning. 

That’s led to a string of weather warnings and watches being issued across the South Island and lower North Island, while other areas enjoy a largely settled weekend, including in Auckland – although there could be a few areas of morning fog tomorrow and a few showers on Sunday. 

Other places could enjoy unseasonably warm temperatures, with 20C forecast in Napier tomorrow and Sunday, and Christchurch expecting 21C tomorrow. 

But it is the western and inland parts of the South Island that are expected to be hardest hit by the foul weather, with the ranges of Westland in line for 24 hours of heavy rain from 7pm tonight and severe gales gusting to 130km/h forecast for the Canterbury high country over 12 hours from 3am tomorrow. 

Damage to trees, powerlines, and unsecured structures was possible, MetService wrote in its strong wind warning for those in Canterbury’s high country. 

“Driving may [also] be difficult, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.” 

Heavy rain and strong wind warnings have been issued for parts of the North and South islands this weekend. Image / MetService 

Heavy rain warnings have been issued across the western and lower South Island, with the Westland ranges’ 24-hour event expected to bring up to 350mm of rain. 

Grey and Buller districts’ ranges are likewise in for a wet weekend, with up to 130mm of rain forecast from late tomorrow morning to early on Sunday. 

The headwaters of lakes and rivers in both Canterbury (south of the Hurunui River) and Otago are also under a heavy rain warning from late tonight until early afternoon (Otago) and early evening (Canterbury) on Sunday. 

Heavy rain is forecast for parts of the South Island this weekend. Pictured is the rain forecast across the South Island for 3pm tomorrow. Image / MetService 

Up to 300mm of rain is expected in the main divide area of Canterbury, with lesser falls further east and in the Otago lakes’ and rivers’ headwaters. 

In Fiordland, up to 150mm of rain is expected to fall tonight and tomorrow morning. 

Heavy rain could lead to streams and rivers rising rapidly, with “surface flooding, slips, and difficult driving conditions possible”, MetService said. 

Heavy rain watches are also in place for the Tararua Range and the inland ranges of Buller District and Nelson Lakes from late tonight until early Sunday, with a moderate chance of upgrading to a warning. 

Wellington, Wairarapa (south of Carterton), Southland, inland Otago, western Clutha, Marlborough Sounds and the inland ranges of Marlborough are under strong wind watches this weekend. 

While showers were expected to develop in the west of the North Island, it was forecast to be mainly fine across the rest of the island, while South Islanders in areas outside the heavy rain-hit west and south could expect scattered falls, MetService said. 

On Sunday, rain would spread north in the North Island before easing, they said. 

In the South Island, heavy rain in the north would ease in the morning, with a few showers elsewhere. 

What weather is in store for your weekend? 

• Whangārei: Fine, with cloud developing tomorrow afternoon. Partly cloudy with evening showers on Sunday. 
• Auckland: Mainly fine, with a few areas of morning fog tomorrow. A few showers, clearing in the evening on Sunday. 
• Hamilton: Morning fog, then fine tomorrow. Showers turning to rain on Sunday. 
• Tauranga: Mainly fine tomorrow. A few showers, clearing in the evening on Sunday. 
• Rotorua: Mainly fine with possible morning fog and cloud developing tomorrow afternoon. Cloudy with occasional rain on Sunday. 
• Napier: Mainly fine all weekend, and with warm winter highs of 20C. 
• Palmerston North: Mostly cloudy tomorrow, showers – some heavy – easing in the afternoon on Sunday. 
• Wellington: Cloudy with a few showers tomorrow morning, and strong northwesterlies, with heavy rain easing before dawn and strong northwesterlies dying out in the morning on Sunday. 
• Nelson: Cloudy with occasional rain tomorrow, becoming fine on Sunday morning. 
• Christchurch: Scattered rain developing tomorrow afternoon with strong northerlies and a high of 21C switching to mainly fine on Sunday – although a wind change will see the high plunge to 13C. 
• Dunedin: Occasional rain tomorrow, fine on Sunday. 
• Queenstown: Rain clearing tomorrow afternoon, fine on Sunday.