Photo: 123RF
Sunday will be soggy across New Zealand, with orange heavy rain warnings for the ranges of eastern Bay of Plenty, the far northwest ranges of Tai Rāwhiti, the Tararuas and around Mount Taranaki.
In the Tararua Range, MetService is forecasting periods of heavy rain between 120-180mm until 11pm Sunday.
Rain will be widespread across the Wellington region until 9pm Sunday, and could approach warning level; thunderstorms were also possible.
Most of the east coast from north of Masterton to Gisborne/Tai Rāwhiti were in for a blustery Sunday, with north-west winds approaching severe gale in exposed places.
For Taranaki maunga, there will be downpours between 100-160mm until 2pm Sunday, with the possibility of thunderstorms. Heavy rain will spread across Northern Taranaki to Tongariro National Park, with a moderate chance of this being upgraded to warning level.
A heavy rain warning for the ranges of eastern Bay of Plenty east of SH2, and the far northwest ranges of Tai Rāwhiti/Gisborne expires at 9am Sunday. MetService said additional brief periods of heavy rain were possible from Sunday afternoon to Monday morning.
Meanwhile, NIWA said temperature differences between the North and South islands could be as high as 20C on Sunday afternoon.
Warm air from the northwest is bringing heavy rain and unusually mild temperatures, with Napier forecast for a high of 22C.
It was a different story in the South Island, however, with snow predicted across the alpine passes, falling to low levels on Monday.
MetService said a strong cold southwesterly flow was expected to bring snow down to low levels.
There are road snowfall warnings on Sunday for:
- Lewis Pass (State Highway 7)
- Crown Range Road near Arrowtown
- Porters Pass (SH73)
- Arthur's Pass (SH73)
The South Island also has heavy snow watches in place for:
- Inland parts of Canterbury, north of Waipara, and Marlborough south of SH63
- Central Otago, south of Lake Wakatipu and Roxburgh
- Clutha
- Southland
- Fiordland
There was also a heavy rain watch in place for Tasman, west of Motueka, until 3pm Sunday.
