Bad weather due to hit the country today is starting to set in, says MetService.
Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
A forecast storm is expected to bring heavy rain, snow, and gales to the South Island this evening.
The West Coast, Otago, Canterbury and Fiordland are expected to bear the brunt of the storm, while an associated cold front moves eastwards across the North Island.
Weather Video: Incoming Spring blast for New Zealand https://t.co/eK76dSbkun
— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) November 7, 2017
Meteorologist Tom Adams said rain was starting to set in on the West Coast and winds in parts of the South Island were starting to pick up.
Mr Adams said because the system was moving fast, the weather was expected to deteriorate quite quickly.
The worst of the storm was expected to hit overnight, but it should clear quickly tomorrow morning.
Winds peak tonight in gale northwesterlies, with gusts of up to 140kmh for Wellington and southern Wairarapa. https://t.co/Sd5C6lJ4hl ^TA pic.twitter.com/goODdpzg5r
— MetService (@MetService) November 7, 2017
