It might not be a night for fireworks or barbecues this New Year's Eve, with wild weather hitting parts of the country.
MetService warns festivalgoers attending Northern Bass are in for more rainfall on Sunday and are likely to experience a growing number of flooded tents.
A severe thunderstorm watch has also been issued for Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua and Taupō from 1pm this afternoon until 9pm tonight.
"A more regular thunderstorm could be 10mm/h to 25mm/h, but a severe thunderstorm can have localised downpours of 25 to 40mm/h - so that's becoming torrential," MetService meteorologist Alwyn Bakker told Newshub.
"It's not going to be a great time, it's going to be raining a heck of a lot, so it will be deeply unpleasant," Bakker said.
Rain is expected over the north of the North Island this afternoon and evening. This rain will be heavy with intensities of 10mm/h to 25mm/h and could be accompanied by thunderstorms.
He warns people planning on a barbeque might want to think twice.
"Barbecues are risky in the sense that it's going to be a bit of a washout," Bakker explained. "Severe thunderstorms are much more dangerous than regular thunderstorms.
"Pretty much everybody in the country is going to be getting rain this afternoon and this evening up the North Island," he said.
However, Bakker said the South Island will be looking a bit better.
"It will still be wet with a lot of showers about, but there's some parts of the South Island that will be quite nice like inland Malborough, Nelson and Canterbury," he said.
"Everywhere else is going to be getting the wet weather and the west will be a lot worse than the east."
New Year's Day
"The year is going to start off so much better than this year is ending," Bakker said. "There will be a bit of rainfall clearing out in the upper North Island, everything is going to be getting much, much nicer."
He said those at Rhythm and Vines in Gisborne can expect "lingering showers" in the morning which will "hopefully clear up as the day goes on."
Northern Bass festivalgoers have already been bashed with rain, with several people experiencing flooded tents and belongings covered in mud, and Bakker warns there's more of it to come.
"The weather in Mangawhai will be getting worse before it gets better, whereas Gisborne will be seeing more of the sunshine," he said.
Bakker added most of the country can expect to see sunshine on New Year's Day, except those in Fiordland who can expect cloud and a few showers.
"Eventually everywhere will be sunny from New Year's Day, everyone will be seeing some blue skies coming into the new year, it's awesome," he said.
"We're expecting some really nice weather over the first three days of the New Year, it's going to be a definite improvement."
