A woman has difficulty holding an umbrella from strong winds in rainy weather. Photo: 123RF
A cold front with strong south-westerlies awaits much of New Zealand on Saturday and Sunday.
MetService meteorologist John Law said the south-westerlies would bring cooler temperatures for many areas, showers in the south and strong winds, particularly in places like Dunedin and Clutha.
The strongest winds were likely to be about eastern parts of Otago where a watch for severe gales was in place from 3pm Saturday until 9am Sunday.
Single-digit temperatures were forecast for most places except for the top of the North Island overnight on Friday.
Law said showers were forecast for Southland and Otago on Saturday, as well as the west of both the North and South Islands, but drier weather was in store for the eastern side of both islands.
Wellington was forecast to get rain before dawn but then a fine Saturday with a high of 13C, but in some places on the eastern coast, like Napier, a high of 17C was forecast, he said.
Saturday would be a blustery, showery day for southern parts of the country including Clutha and the Otago coast, he said.
Sunday's weather would be similar with the strong winds still on the southern South Island, he said.
Heavy swell warnings were in place for Wellington from Cape Terawhiti to Turakirae Head from 9am Sunday until 3pm on Monday with up to 4.5m waves expected.
There was also a heavy swell warning in place for Wairarapa from Turakirae Head to Mataikona from 6am Sunday until midnight Monday with waves up to 5.5m forecast.