South Islanders are being warned to prepare for a wet and windy end to the week, with much of the island covered in MetService's weather warnings and watches.
The West Coast will see the heaviest rainfall, with large gale-force winds expected for Canterbury.
Here's the latest weather warnings and watches from MetService:
- Wellington: Strong wind warning from 11pm Thursday to 9am Friday.
- Wairarapa south of Masterton: Strong wind watch from 1am Friday to 10am Friday.
- Marlborough: Strong Wind warning from 11pm Thursday to 9am Friday.
- The Richmond and Bryant Ranges including the Rai Valley area, and the Marlborough Sounds: Heavy rain watch from 10pm Thursday to 7am Friday.
- The ranges of Tasman west of Motueka: Heavy rain warning from 9pm Thursday to 6am Friday.
- Buller: Heavy rain watch from 7pm Thursday to 1am Saturday.
- Buller and Westland: Strong wind watch from 6pm Thursday to 3am Friday.
- Westland: Heavy rain warning from 4ppm Thursday to 9pm Friday.
- Canterbury High Country: Strong wind warning from 9pm Thursday to 9pm Friday.
- Bank Peninsula: Strong wind watch from 1am Friday to 7am Friday.
- Queenstown Lakes District away from the Otago headwaters, and Central Otago: Heavy rain watch from 5pm Thusday to 4am Friday.
- Headwaters of the Otago lakes and rivers: Heavy rain watch from 4pm Thursday to noon Friday.
- Fiordland north of Dusky Sound: Heavy rain warning from 4pm Thursday to 10am Friday.
- Southland, Clutha, and Fiordland about and south of Dusky Sound: Heavy rain watch from 5pm Thursday to 5am Friday.
Metservice meteorologist John Law told AM the heaviest rain is expect to lash the West Coast with 200 to 300mm of rain expected up around the ranges.
"That heaviest rainfall down towards the ranges say between Otira and the Fox Glacier could be as much as 400mm [of rain]. So it is a fair amount of rainfall to come through."
Law added while the West Coast is use to a "fair bit of rain", he told AM between Thursday and Friday will be "a wet old day" for the west coast.
Law said the strongest winds are likely to be felt along the Canterbury High Country, Marlborough and Wellington from Thursday evening.
"It is a case of the weather today going down hill."
Law warned the wet weather in particular will move up the North Island by Friday.
"Places like Taranaki, the Tararua Ranges and pehaps the eastern part of the Bay of Plenty, keep an eye on the watches and warnings through there."
The meteorologist told AM the wet weather is likely to clear by Saturday morning for the North Island, providing a better and drier weekend.
Watch the full interview above.
