Rain for Northland, but not the deluge set to hit rest of country

Rain coming to Northland this week is likely to be in showers rather than any deluges likely to cause flooding.

Foul weather set to rock the country over the next few days won't have much impact, if any, in Northland, the MetService says.

From today significant amounts of rain are forecast for the west of the South Island, including the headwaters of the Canterbury and Otago lakes and rivers, MetService meteorologist Andy Best said.

"An exceptional amount of rain is forecast for these areas, which could lead to flooding and slips."

A strong northwest flow covers the South Island ahead of an active front over the Tasman Sea. This front moves over southern New Zealand today and is preceded by a period of gusty northwest gales for some areas.

The front which brings the rain to the South Island is forecast to move through on Wednesday, with a much cooler southwest change in its wake, resulting in lower overnight temperatures for the South Island on Thursday morning.

Gales are also forecast for southern and eastern parts of the South Island, as well as central New Zealand, with numerous watches and warnings in place from Wellington and Wairarapa southwards.

However, Best said, the front moving up the country won't hit Northland, which is set to get a moist front from the sub-tropics instead that will bring some rain to the region, but showers for several days, rather than a large downpour.

He said from Thursday the front from the sub-tropics would bring showers to most of Northland.

''It's showers for (Northland) from Thursday, with moist air coming from the sub-tropics,'' Best said.

Northland has had one of its driest summers on record — Whangārei has had 47.2mm in the past month, while Kerikeri has had 60.2mm — and the rain between Thursday and Tuesday is unlikely to cause any issues such as flooding or slips.

The weather will stay relatively warm though, with highs of between 23C and 26C and overnight lows between 16C and 18C across Northland.Go to www.metservice.com for the up-to-date forecast information on warnings and watches.