A cold change will blast through New Zealand this weekend with MetService warning of heavy rain throughout the country.
The forecaster says a front is expected to move over New Zealand during the next few days bringing with it significant rain and plummeting temperatures.
"Areas from Westland to Taranaki, including Nelson, are now covered by severe weather warnings and watches, as rain may accumulate to significant amounts from today [Thursday] and into Saturday. By the end of Friday, the rain will affect almost everybody," MetService said in a statement.
WeatherWatch warns temperatures will "tumble" in the south by Friday before the cold air moves north on Monday.
"A colder more wintry change is moving back into NZ on Friday after a warmer than average week for many places.
"Canterbury will see a temperature drop of over 10C on the daytime highs you've had this week, with Christchurch dropping from highs this week in the low 20s to a high of 11C on Friday, Saturday and Sunday - and potentially a high of only 8C on Monday," WeatherWatch said.
There's also a risk of thunderstorms in some areas.
"North Island: Wet weather Friday-Saturday with a chance for thunderstorms on Sunday," NIWA warns.
"South Island: Rainy, showery, or drizzly depending on your location from Friday through the weekend."
