A car ploughs through surface flooding on a Dunedin street on 3 October 2024. Photo: RNZ / Nathan McKinnon
Recent bad weather across the country - which has ranged from a bit unsettled in the north to flooding in the south - is expected to ease by the end of this week.
Dunedin got two months' of rain in less than two days last week, causing flooding and the declaration of a state of emergency.
Residents are now in clean-up mode, but MetService forecast more rain on Monday afternoon, "possibly heavy and thundery with hail" before clearing in the late evening as fog sets in.
There was a small chance of rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, but nothing like the downpour of last week.
Elsewhere in the South Island, heavy rain watches were in place for the ranges of the Westland District, and the Canterbury High Country, both from 8am to 5pm on Tuesday.
A strong wind watch was in place for coastal areas of Southland and Clutha, including Stewart Island, from 9pm Tuesday through to midday Wednesday. A similar watch was in place for the Canterbury High Country from 9am Monday until 5pm.
Residents of Marlborough and the Kaikoura District should watch for strong winds from midday Tuesday through to the evening, MetService said, and Wellingtonians from midday until midnight.
A road snowfall warning was also in place for Milford Road (SH94) in the south, lower than 600m, during Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.
"About 15 to 30cm of snow may settle on the road near the tunnel."
MetService said a southwest flow would spread "over the entire country behind a front that crosses the North Island" on Wednesday, possibly bringing severe gale-force winds to the Canterbury High Country and Tararua District, and winds strong enough to warrant a warning to southern Fiordland and the Otago Peninsula.
NIWA described it as a "burst of cold air straight from Antartica".
"While the week starts with springtime warmth, a cold front will sweep the country on Wednesday, bringing brief burst of cold weather and a southerly change," it posted on social media.
"Don't put those heaters away as yet!"
A high was expected to arrive on Thursday, remaining over the country for a couple of days with "minimal" risk of severe weather. It might rain at the extreme north and south, but "no severe weather is expected".
By Saturday, there was likely to be "rain and strong winds to parts" of the South Island, but not bad enough to trigger a warning.