Severe weather watches and warnings have been issued as a front sweeps across the country.
"A broad area of low pressure is expected to cross Aotearoa New Zealand over the weekend, bringing with it significant and widespread rain and wind," MetService said on Facebook.
Multiple heavy rain and strong wind watches and warnings are out for the west coast of the South Island and the northern half of the North Island. There are also road snowfall warnings for four South Island roads.
The rain started along the South Island's west coast on Saturday morning.
"There is a moderate risk of thunderstorms embedded within this rain for Westland north of the glaciers, Buller and the west of Nelson/Tasman during the afternoon and evening," MetService warned.
"Any thunderstorms that occur will enhance rainfall rates (up to 25mm per hour), and there is also a low risk of small, localised tornadoes."
This system moves eastwards over the North Island on Saturday afternoon, with a heavy rain warning and strong wind watch issued for the Mount Taranaki area from 2pm on Saturday.
"Expect 100 to 140mm, with peak intensities of 15 to 20mm/h from Saturday night to Sunday morning," MetService said.
Then over Sunday the rain and wind continues to move eastwards, which could see places like the Coromandel and Bay of Plenty hit by the wettest weather.
There's a low risk of thunderstorms from coastal Taranaki, Waitomo and Waikato northwards through to Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula and Northland.
