Weather alerts have been upgraded from watches to warnings across New Zealand, as a low-pressure system barrels through the country and disrupts the first New Year’s festivals on the summer calendar.
Most of the North Island and the top of the South are now cloaked under a sea of orange weather warnings, impacting travel to and from major holiday and festival hotspots.
Rain has begun falling in Gisborne, Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay and the Coromandel, which are all under heavy rain warnings until at least tomorrow morning.
Potentially damaging gales are set to whip through central New Zealand and its western coastline, with Wellington, Manawatū, Horowhenua and the Kāpiti Coast expecting severe southeasterly gales from 4pm until 9am tomorrow.
In more than a dozen other regions, from Buller to Waikato, severe gales of up to 120km/h could potentially cause “damage to trees, powerlines and unsecured structures” as prior wind watches are upgraded to warnings.
Motorists with high-sided vehicles and motorcyclists are being warned of potentially difficult conditions on the road.
The weather is set to create significant disruption to those travelling around the country for New Year’s Eve, with Matakanarama festival near Auckland advising punters that its gates will open late today “to allow conditions to settle” amid strong winds.
Highlife, an R23 festival on Waiheke Island, has also changed its site set-up to include a clear roof marquee that will shelter guests from expected rain on New Year’s Eve.
Ruapehu District Council has urged residents to be wary around exposed spots and ridgelines, and be proactive in tying down their loose belongings before the winds pick up.
“If it’s not nailed, bolted or sworn at regularly, it’s making plans to leave,” the council said.
MetService described conditions for today and tomorrow as “wet and wild” with heavy rain and gale southeasterlies.
Forecaster Samkelo Magwala told the Herald a low-pressure system was heading towards New Zealand and was forecast to hit today.
“We are expecting it to result in windy conditions and widespread rain, which might be heavy in some places,” he said.
MetService has issued a series of warnings for the eastern side of the North Island until late this evening and early tomorrow.
A heavy rain watch is currently in place for the Coromandel Peninsula until 7pm, with 90 to 130mm of rain expected today.
“Peak rates of 15 to 25mm/h expected from late Monday morning,” MetService said.
Heavy rain warnings are forecast to begin from this morning until early tomorrow morning for Gisborne/Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay.
🌧️Rain Band Moving South🌧️
— MetService NZ (@MetService) December 28, 2025
📡Heavy Rain Warnings are still in their early days, so accumulations are just starting to climb.
❓You can see two different directions of rain due to different wind flows at different levels of the atmosphere!
Check out the radar here:… pic.twitter.com/zmUEP3SLSF
Between 90 and 130mm of rain is predicted for both regions during the affected period; however, 150 to 200mm is forecast for north of Tolaga Bay.
MetService forecasts: “Severe gale southeast winds gusting 120 km/h in exposed places.
“Damage to trees, powerlines, and unsecured structures [is] possible. Driving may be difficult, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.”
Strong wind watches are also forecast to begin this morning for Auckland, Great Barrier Island and Coromandel Peninsula, and Waikato, Waitomo, Taranaki, Taumarunui, Taupō, Tongariro National Park and Taihape.
A heavy rain watch is also in place this morning for Bay of Plenty, including Rotorua.
Magwala said that even though the current weather would move off the country tomorrow, another system would arrive later.
“[It] will give some widespread rain. The rain will be with us for a bit longer.”
Magwala said the extreme weather would make for bad driving conditions.
“Depending on where you are and what time you are planning your trip, because it is going to be bad in the central and eastern parts of the North Island.
“Unfortunately, rain is on the cards for those going to music festivals in the Hawke’s Bay.”
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