Weather warnings are being issued as tropical air steams towards New Zealand this weekend.
"After a stretch of mild, cloudy but mostly dry weather a low is barreling this way during the weekend," MetService says.
"A lot of South Island areas will see rain on Sunday while the North Island generally waits until Monday for the worst of the weather to hit."
A NIWA graphic measuring atmospheric moisture shows New Zealand in the firing line for warm and moist air.
"When a low approaches New Zealand from the Tasman Sea, its clockwise-rotating winds can pick up the moisture-rich air from the tropics and sub-tropics (purple and dark teal) and ferry it to the mid-latitudes," NIWA says.
This means New Zealand can expect:
- Warmer than average daytime and night-time temperatures
- Heavy rain developing for the western South Island
MetService has issued weather watches and warnings for much of the west coast of the South Island.
Orange Warnings
Westland south of Harihari: Between 10:00pm tonight (Saturday) and 10:00pm tomorrow night (Sunday), expect 200-250mm of rain about the ranges, with 80-110mm nearer the coast.
Headwaters of the Otago Lakes and Rivers: Between 12:00am (midnight tonight) and 4:00pm tomorrow (Sunday), expect 200 to 250mm of rain about the Divide, with 70 to 110mm accumulating within 15km east of the Divide.
Ranges of Westland between Harihari and Otira: Between 6:00am tomorrow morning (Sunday) and 11:00pm tomorrow night, expect 80 to 100mm of rain about the ranges.
Yellow Watches
Fiordland north of Doubtful Sound: Between 11:00pm tonight (Saturday) and 4:00pm tomorrow (Sunday), expect periods of heavy rain.
Ranges of Buller, Nelson west of Motueka: Between 3:00pm and midnight tomorrow (Sunday), expect periods of heavy rain.
