It's a mixed bag of weather for the country on ANZAC Day with heavy rain expected in the South Island's West Coast, while it should be dry in the North Island.
MetService said a front is expected to arrive at Fiordland on Wednesday night, spreading heavy rain up the West Coast on ANZAC morning (Thursday). It is expected to be followed by a second front on Thursday evening.
"A strong, moist northerly flow will bring rain to the west coast of the South Island ahead of a series of fronts passing on Thursday. The heaviest falls are likely to occur Thursday morning and again Thursday evening and night," MetService said.
A heavy rain watch has been issued for Westland and Fiordland from Thursday morning until Friday morning. Periods of heavy rain are forecast in these areas and rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria.
Northwest gales are expected to precede the fronts for Fiordland to Canterbury High Country.
A strong wind watch has been issued for Canterbury High Country from midnight Wednesday until Thursday evening, and parts of Fiordland and parts of Southland from Wednesday night until Thursday morning.
WeatherWatch head forecaster Philip Duncan said there will be "a lot of moving parts around the country" on ANZAC Day.
He said there is a risk for heavy rain in the South Island's West Coast and strong winds may reach severe gales in parts of Canterbury and Marlborough. A colder change comes in towards the island on Thursday afternoon, Duncan added.
He said the North Island is "not looking too bad" although it will be windy for Wellington, Wairarapa and Manawatū. The Island is expected to be mostly dry, with a couple of showers later in the day.
For those who have taken Friday off work for an extra-long weekend, Duncan warned they should keep their eyes on a low to the north.
"All it takes is that next big high trying to come in to just shrink a little bit, or take a little bit longer, and that low… will be further down over [parts of the North Island]. Or the high moves in even faster and squeezes the life out of the system before it gets to us," he said.
Duncan said it will be colder for the South Island on Friday, with snow likely on the mountains.
Here's Metservice's extended forecast:
Thursday
North Island: Mainly fine from Gisborne to Wairarapa. Scattered showers elsewhere, turning to rain about Waitomo and North Taranaki at night. South Island: Rain in the west, with some heavy falls. Scattered showers elsewhere, but dry from Christchurch to Kaikoura Coast. Snow lowering to 700 metres in the far south late. Severe gale northwesterlies in exposed places, easing.
Friday
North Island: Rain or showers, easing later. South Island: Rain or showers in the west and south, easing. Snow to 600 metres in the far south at first. Partly cloudy with scattered showers elsewhere, easing late.
Saturday
North Island: Scattered showers clearing the most, but isolated showers lingering in the west from Taranaki northwards. South Island: Scattered showers becoming confined to Fiordland and Southland.
Chatham Islands
Partly cloudy on Thursday. Rain developing Friday, easing to a few showers Saturday. Northwesterlies changing southwesterlies overnight Friday.
Newshub.
