Meteorological autumn starts on Friday - and the new season is set to kick off with a Southern Ocean storm.
Get ready for a downpour in central and western areas, while widespread severe northwesterly gales are also expected.
On Sunday a slow-moving front over the North Island is expected to bring significant rain.
MetService said there may be warning amounts in Auckland, Taranaki, the central North Island high country, and the Tararua Range.
Also on Sunday, a storm developing in the Southern Ocean will move towards New Zealand to sit south of the country early next week.
MetService warns this will cause an "intense front" to sweep northeast across the South Island and lower North Island on Monday - while the slow-moving front over the North Island intensifies.
"Severe weather warnings will be issued for this event in the coming days," MetService tweeted.
High confidence for warning amounts of rain:
- North of Fiordland
- Westland District
- Headwaters of Otago and Canterbury lakes and rivers
Moderate confidence for warning amounts of rain:
- Broader area over the South Island (including Fiordland, Grey District, and Buller)
- Much of the central North Island
- Tararua Range
- Eastern ranges of the Bay of Plenty
Moderate confidence for severe northwesterly gales:
- South Island (except coastal Westland, Buller, and Nelson)
- Waitomo to the eastern ranges of the Bay of Plenty
- Inland Gisborne through the central North Island high country to Kapiti
High confidence for severe northwesterly gales:
- Wellington
- Wairarapa
- Hawke's Bay south of Napier
Low confidence for severe northwesterly gales:
- Remainder of the North Island
Fortunately, the storm will be brief as it moves away and high pressure returns on Thursday.
