A large and active trough of low pressure over the Tasman Sea is expected to make landfall tomorrow, bringing heavy rain to the Tararua Range.
Tomorrow, north-westerlies are forecast to strengthen over the North Island, Metservice said, while colder, strong or gale south-to-southwesterlies will develop over the South Island.
There is moderate confidence of rain reaching warning criteria in Buller, the Tararua Range, and Mount Taranaki tomorrow.
In the South Island, there is low confidence of heavy snow falling above 400 metres in Fiordland and inland parts of Southland, Otago, and South Canterbury,
the meteorological service said.
In addition, snow is expected to fall to about 400 metres over the South Island, which could affect a number of high roads and high country farms.
Metservice said cold south or south-westerlies will spread over the North Island on Thursday, while a ridge of high pressure is picked to build over the country on Friday, with winds easing.
Metservice has forecast a weak front bringing rain to Fiordland on Saturday, but the amount of expected rainfall “doesn’t look significant at this stage”, it said.
The forecast for heavy rain tomorrow has prompted the National Emergency Management Agency [Nema]
to warn people to prepare.
“The ground in many parts of Aotearoa is already saturated, and with more heavy rain about to arrive, there is an increased risk of flooding and landslides,” Nema director John Price said.
“We are facing a severe weather situation, where orange heavy rain warnings and thunderstorm watches have been issued for large parts of the motu [country].
“We ask that people keep up to date with Metservice’s watches and warnings and follow their local Civil Defence Emergency Management group on their social media accounts.”
Metservice had not issued any warnings or watches for Wairarapa as of 5pm yesterday.
