A "classic spring blast" is moving across New Zealand this week, with forecasters warning it'll bring a cold snap, heavy downpours and snowfall and gale-force winds of up to 150km/h - as well as a touch of sunshine.
WeatherWatch says stormy lows from the Southern Ocean, coupled with a cold change out of southern Australia, will combine to kick off what could become a ferocious storm.
A low and cold front will start passing over New Zealand on Monday, and by Tuesday it is likely to be very wet for large swathes of the country. Wednesday is set to be when a cold change and severe gales begin, with winds dying down by the weekend.
"A powerful high pressure zone out of Australia will contribute to New Zealand's windier westerlies later this week," the forecaster says.
Predictably, the heaviest rainfall will be on the West Coast - 80-100mm could fall in the coming days there - and from Hokitika southwards that could rise from anywhere between 150mm to over 200mm, WeatherWatch predicts.
Parts of the lower North Island - including Manawatu-Wanganui and Wellington - can expect 50mm of rainfall, though eastern parts of the country, like Hawke's Bay, are unlikely to get any rain.
Temperatures will be above normal across New Zealand much of this week, but there will be a notable cold change on Wednesday - and Southland will get the worst of it.
When temperatures plummet, rain down in the South Island will likely turn to snow - including in low-elevation areas.
WeatherWatch says snowfall is expected to reach 100-150cm across the Southern Alps, while the North Island's Central Plateau will receive 15-20cm from Tuesday night to Wednesday. The West Coast will see 50-80cm.
By this time, winds will have picked up again and will be felt all over New Zealand on Thursday and Friday - particularly across western parts of the South Island.
In Fiordland and the Southern Alps, gusts could rise to 120km/h, while in the North Island on Wednesday winds of 80-90km/h could be felt, rising to 140 km/h in some localised locations like the Manukau Heads in west Auckland.
It'll be another blustery day on Friday with gusts of 120-150 km/h from the west to north-west - especially in the upper South Island and lower North Island.
