A low-pressure system from the Tasman Sea is expected to bring strong winds, heavy rain and snow to parts of New Zealand this week.
MetService says the weather could get worse as the low moves across the country over several days. Heavy rain warnings have been issued for the Coromandel Peninsula and western Bay of Plenty. Heavy rain watches are also in place for Auckland, Great Barrier Island, eastern Northland, and inland parts of Tasman and Nelson.
Meteorologist Sylvia Martino said the low would bring heavy rain and strong winds as it slowly moved over New Zealand. A separate front is also expected to move quickly up the South Island on Thursday. This could bring severe gales to central New Zealand, including Wellington and the Marlborough Sounds. MetService said some watches may be upgraded to full warnings as the forecast becomes clearer.
The South Island is also set to become much colder. Many places may only reach single-digit temperatures, and Twizel could fall to -3C on Thursday morning. Martino said the weather was not unusually cold for this time of year, but it would feel chilly after warmer weather last week. Snow is likely to fall at high altitudes, giving some mountain areas a fresh white covering.
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