MetService is forecasting significant and widespread rain and wind for the weekend. Photo: 123RF
Much of the country is in for downpours and northerly gales as a front sweeps across the country at the weekend.
A broad area of low pressure is due to cross the country at the weekend bringing with it significant and widespread rain and wind, MetService says.
Western parts of the South Island and the central North Island are likely to be hit with north to northeast gales and downpours as the front moves across the South Island on Saturday and slowly across the North Island on Sunday.
"Rain gets going along the South Island's west coast during Saturday morning, then into the afternoon the system moves onto the North Island," MetService meteorologist Andrew James says.
"Wherever you are, Saturday's best weather is going to be early in the day."
During Sunday the rain and wind continues to move eastwards across the country.
MetService issued has orange rain and wind warnings and urged people to keep up with severe weather warnings over the weekend.
The ranges of Westland south of Otira were under an orange rain warning for Saturday, and Mount Taranaki from 4pm Saturday to 11am Sunday.
Fiordland was forecast to have wind gusts strong enough to damage trees, powerlines and unsecured structures in the 10 hours to 4pm Saturday.
Tasman, about and west of Motueka, and Buller under a heavy rain watch for Saturday, and downpours were forecast for the Central North Island hill country from eastern Taranaki to Taihape, and northwards to Waitomo overnight on Saturday through to Sunday 6pm.
Strong wind watches were in place for Tasman and Nelson, Westland and Buller and the Canterbury high country.
"The good news is that the weather is set to settle again after the weekend, as a ridge of higher pressure rebuilds across Aotearoa," James said.