After a period of warm, muggy weather, New Zealand's about to be blasted by spring-like conditions, with "severe westerly gales" and heavy rain for western areas.
WeatherWatch head forecaster Philip Duncan says for the next four or five days, it's going to feel like spring across the country. He says "windy westerlies" are returning with strong rain hitting the West Coast and eastern regions "warmer than usual".
"For those in the upper North Island, after three weeks of muggy weather and humidity and those northerlies and easterlies, you're back to south-westers now. So definitely a little easier for sleeping," Duncan says.
There's currently a "big pulse of hot weather" over Australia creating 40C+ temperatures for some central and north-eastern parts of the country.
Duncan says on Saturday some of that weather may "start to spread out to the South Island" with south-westers and possibly a shower or two.
The next day, rain clouds will start moving up the West Coast. The three-day forecast from Sunday showing 200mm over the period for south-west Fiordland.
"Normally, 200mm over three days in Fiordland, wouldn't normally make the headlines at WeatherWatch, but it is summer time. People are going away camping, tramping hiking, so this is something to be aware of."
Further north, around Greymouth, rainfall of about 50mm over the three days can be expected.
The strong winds, reaching up to "severe gale", start kicking in from Monday. Those across Fiordland reaching up into inland Canterbury may see winds of up to 120km/h. There's also a possibility of these strong winds in Wellington.
"There are even some areas in the real mountainous areas that could be getting up to 150km/h, gusting on the tops of thouse mountains. For trampers and hikers and campers, just be aware, it is going to be a bit of a rough start to next week."
Metservice is also painting a similar picture of the weekend's weather, writing that a ridge of high pressure over New Zealand will retreat to the north on Sunday as a front approaches Fiordland from the southwest.
"There is moderate confidence of rainfall accumulations reaching warning amounts in Fiordland from Sunday afternoon to Tuesday. There is also moderate confidence of warning amounts of rain in Westland including the Southern Alps during Monday and Tuesday, and in Buller and the ranges of northwest Tasman on Tuesday. There is low confidence of warning amounts of rain about the Tararua Range during Tuesday."
In regards to wind, Metservice says there is a moderate confidence of strong northwesterlies becoming severe in exposed parts of Fiordland, Southland from late on Sunday into Tuesday and for inland Otago, the Canterbury High Country and inland Marlborough on Monday and Tuesday.
"There is also moderate confidence of northwesterlies rising to severe gales in exposed parts of Wellington and Wairarapa including the Tararua District on Tuesday."
