Heavy rain for the south, but temperatures stay warm

Severe weather is set to hit New Zealand over the coming days, starting in the deep south before sweeping northwards.

Forecasters are warning the big wet could trigger slips, flooding, road closures and detours. The MetService predicts heavy rain for parts of the South Island with Fiordland and the West Coast set to get 600mm between Sunday and Tuesday.

“A change is coming for many this week, as a cold front moves over the South Island and lower North Island. Warm, moist northwesterlies ahead of the front are set to bring heavy rain and gale force winds,” MetService meteorologist Rob Kerr said.

Severe weather warnings are now in place as nor’west winds bring heavy rain to parts of the South Island over the next few days.

Otago and Canterbury headwaters can expect significant rainfall with 500mm possible about the divide and 280mm within 20km of the divide during today and tomorrow.

The cold front will slowly sweep over the South Island before stalling over the North Island about midweek.

In Auckland, cloudy periods and isolated showers can be expected before the front arrives and, then with it, rain and windy conditions.

“As [the front] stalls, it’s going to bring more rain and shower activity across the North Island,” MetService meteorologist Josh Griffin said.

“In Auckland . . . there is some rain developing late Wednesday into Thursday and it’ll kind of be cloudy and a bit showery for the Auckland area towards the end of the week.”

However, it’s not time to pack away the shorts and T-shirts yet with the long, hot summer set to linger.

Temperatures have remained consistently in the mid to high 20s for the upper North Island and in the low 20s for much of the rest of the country. A high-pressure system brought settled weather to the country this month and, despite the arrival of the cold front midweek, the weather will remain warm.

“It seems to be nothing out of the ordinary for this time of year . . . it’s not going to be getting cold just yet,” Griffin said.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says the combined rain bands will create a significant rain event with totals potentially exceeding 300mm or 400mn on the West Coast.

The heaviest rain would be from about Hokitika southwards.

“For those needing rain in the North Island this front will weaken significantly as it moves northwards around late Wednesday and Thursday, but there may be some isolated downpours which bring relief.”