Much of the east coast of the South Island and the North Island is wet and windy on New Year's Eve, especially on the East Coast with Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti Gisborne under heavy rain watches and strong southerly swells forcing Cook Strait ferry cancellations.
The rain in Christchurch is expected to ease to showers this afternoon but the cold south-westerlies will hang around into the night.
Meterologist Ngaire Wotherspoon said the rain would clear in the evening in most places, aside from Gisborne and Wellington, where those out celebrating should pack a warm layer and a rain coat.
But the forecast was much better in the South Island, she said.
"Especially down the west coast of the South Island is looking beautiful today, Greymouth and Hokitika, places like Queenstown and Wānaka won't be too bad either.
"They could see some cloud, and the possibility of a shower or two this evening, but that's pretty unlikely, it's definitely one of the drier places to be."
New Year's Day forecast
The first day of 2025 was looking better and brighter for most parts of the motu, with strong southerly winds easing, Wotherspoon said.
"Again the places to be will be along the west coast of the South Island - Greymouth, Hokitika, Westport are all looking really lovely, probably some quite nice fine spells in places like Queenstown [and] Invercargill as well," she said.
Northland, Auckland, Coromandel and Taupō were also likely to have a fine New Year's Day with just the chance of a shower. But the East Coast was still in for a wet start to the year.
"Tai Rāwhiti Gisborne, Hawke's Bay will see quite a few showers as well as down in Wellington, [it'll] probably still be quite windy there as well."
Temperatures would remain cool for the next few days due to a southerly flow across the country, Wotherspoon said.
