Photo: Unsplash / Erik Witsoe
Returning holidaymakers are in for a tropically-charged pelting with much of the country set to face heavy rain in the final weekend of school holidays.
More muggy, stormy weather is in store for both islands on Friday and Saturday as the tropics continue to influence the country's weather.
Niwa said the tropical disturbance is forecast to move southward from New Caledonia into New Zealand as early as Friday.
Although its exact track is uncertain, it is expected to bring heavy rain to flood-ravaged eastern and southern regions of the North Island and the west and north of the South Island.
Currently Wellington, Wairarapa, Kāpiti-Horowhenua and Tararua are already under a heavy rain warning with parts of the capital affected by flooding.
It was expected to last for the rest of the day.
However, this will not be the end of the wet weather with a fresh bout of rain and strong northeast winds to hit regions.
MetService meteorologist Jessie Owen said the low-pressure system originating in the tropics was expected to move southwards towards New Zealand over the next few days and lie just west of the country by Friday.
"The whole North Island looks set to get rain, starting late Friday and continuing through Saturday clearing early Sunday morning, then the weather on Sunday looks fairly benign," Owens said.
The exact location of the heaviest rain is still uncertain but for the North Island it looked likely to be heaviest in western and central parts.
From Thursday to Saturday rainfall was expected to meet warning criteria for Mount Taranaki.
"We are also expecting strong northeasterly winds for the North Island associated with this low-pressure system," Owens said.
For the upper South Island the rain was expected to begin earlier on Friday and begins to clear out late Saturday and the heaviest falls for the South Island were likely to be in the west and north.
On Sunday a front would move on to the lower South Island in the second half of the day bringing rain and colder southerlies to Fiordland and Southland, Owens said.
"In terms of how the weather will feel, wet and windy, but also muggy, as this system is coming from the tropics it is bringing warm, moist air with it so temperatures are expected to be above average for this time of year for the North Island and upper South Island.
"In particular the overnight minimum temperatures will be 5-7C warmer than average for April so it will be feeling quite sticky overnight," Owens said.
On Sunday once the low-pressure system moves away temperatures are expected to return to average for April, Owens said.
For those hoping to return home from holiday before the bad weather begins, Owens recommended the below schedule for travellers:
Best weather for travelling:
Lower South Island: before Sunday evening.
East of South Island: before Friday evening, or from Saturday evening onwards.
West and north of South Island: Sunday.
North Island: Friday morning, or Sunday.
Owens said as always this is an evolving system so it's best to keep up to date with the forecasts and warnings and watches when planning travel.
This story was originally published on the NZ Herald.