It's a stormy week ahead for many parts of New Zealand as thunderstorms move in to the country on Tuesday and a southerly hits next week too.
Parts of the West Coast were under a severe thunderstorm warning on Tuesday afternoon, although there is now just a severe thunderstorm watch for the area.
Until 5pm in Westland and until 8pm in Buller, MetService said some thunderstorms may be severe with localised downpours of 25-40mm/h, hail, and possibly a few small tornadoes, especially near the coast.
They said rainfall of this intensity can cause surface and/or flash flooding, especially about low-lying areas such as streams, rivers or narrow valleys, and may also lead to slips. Driving conditions will also be hazardous with surface flooding and poor visibility in heavy rain and hail.
If any tornadoes do occur, MetService said they are expected to be small and localised but they could cause damage to buildings and vegetation.
The thunderstorm activity will ease in the evening.
But the stormy weather may not end there. As forecast rain hits the North Island on Friday, WeatherWatch said there might be a thunderstorm or a heavy downpour as the mix of warm and cold weather arrives.
Eastern areas will remain mostly dry, the forecaster said, but the winds become southerlies in the South Island.
On Saturday as a high from Australia moves towards us, there will be more southerly flows and it'll be colder in New Zealand. WeatherWatch said it won't be too stormy and unsettled, but there will be some showers and temperatures will drop slightly.
While temperatures will be up again on Sunday, there will be a "burst of severe weather" around
New Zealand on Monday.
"This could be our first proper southerly of the year," said WeatherWatch head forecaster Philip Duncan.
WeatherWatch said they'll be able to lock in how stormy King's Birthday Weekend will be later this week.
