A change in the weather is expected this weekend, with heavy rain warnings and watches for Otago, Westland and Tasman, and thunderstorms that could reach many regions.
A low-pressure system and fronts have been moving east from Australia to New Zealand, and from Saturday evening these could could dump rain or showers in many areas, MetService forecasters say.
An orange heavy rain warning has been issued for Westland, where up to 200mm of rain was expected in some places between late morning Saturday and Sunday evening.
Yellow heavy rain watches have also been issued - for both coastal Otago and Tasman - but these could be upgraded, MetService warned. The watch for Otago covered 15 hours from 6am to 9pm on Sunday.
There was a moderate risk of thunderstorms south of the glaciers, where localised rainfall could reach up to 25mm an hour or more, and a lower risk for the area from Nelson and Tasman to Westland.
In the North Island, Saturday started off warm for Tauranga, which was already 20C by 6am, MetService said.
But the incoming system could mean weekend thunderstorms for the west and north of the island, from Taranaki to Northland, with localised rainfalls up to 25mm an hour and strong winds gusting to 90kmh. And there was a chance the thunderstorms could reach central parts of the North Island.
People should make sure they are prepared and stay up to date with changes to the forecasts, warnings and watches, MetService said.
