Rain and wind are set to batter New Zealand this week, with warnings and watches in place for some parts of the country.
MetService said a series of fronts were moving in, bringing rain until the end of the week before the first big wintry blast of 2022 moves in.
But with this unsettled weather will also come some strangely warm nights, explained MetService meteorologist April Clark.
"The westerly flow bringing in humid air, means any fronts moving over the country this week will be ripe for rain and this pattern will dominate through to Friday," she said.
"Winds are also expected to pick up with the passage of each front, especially over the high country with Wellington's break from gale-force winds set to be broken on Thursday when an active front moves up from the South Island.
"The humid air not only brings rain but also unusually warm overnight temperatures to Aotearoa, especially for the upper North Island," Clark said.
Below are all the weather warnings and watches MetService currently has in place.
Mt Taranaki
A heavy rain warning is in place for Mt Taranaki from 10am to 11pm on Tuesday.
MetService said the heavy rain could cause rivers and streams to rapidly rise, while surface flooding and slips were also possible.
Tongariro National Park
A heavy rain watch is in place for Tongariro National Park from midday on Tuesday to 2am on Wednesday, with MetService forecasting periods of possible heavy downfalls.
Tararua Range
A heavy rain watch is in place for the Tararua Range from 11pm on Monday until 11am on Tuesday.
MetService said the Tararua District could also be impacted again later in the week, with possible severe gale force westerly winds.
The forecaster warned Tararua, Hawke's Bay and Gisborne could be impacted by those winds on Friday.
Fiordland
A heavy rain watch is in place for Fiordland from midnight on Monday until 3pm on Tuesday.
MetService warned of possible heavy rain in the area on Tuesday and Wednesday before moving over Westland on Thursday,
The rainfall intensities could approach 'warning' criteria - meaning widespread downpours of more than 50mm within six hours or 100mm in a day.
First winter blast?
A cold blast is set to move over New Zealand on Friday following this week of unsettled weather.
WeatherWatch said the airflow over the South Island would turn into a colder southerly from Antarctica, before moving to the North Island later on Friday or overnight Saturday.
There are currently no warnings or watches in place attributed to this cold blast but MetService warned people to keep up to date with the latest forecasts, given the changeable conditions.
"An active front is expected to move over the country on Thursday, marking the start of a gradual shift to southwesterlies and cooler temperatures," MetService said in a statement.
"Eastern regions of the South Island will likely see the sharpest drop in temperatures from the week's start to end, with single-digit maximum temperatures showing up for Southland and Otago on Friday."
WeatherWatch said snow flurries were expected down to a few hundred, or a couple of hundred, metres for a time - although its accumulation looks low.
