Weather: Active fronts bring severe gales, heavy rain

Heavy rain and strong winds are on the cards for southern and central parts of New Zealand. Photo / Michael Craig

A series of active fronts hanging over New Zealand until Wednesday will bring heavy rain and strong winds to southern and central parts of the country.

All of the South Island - bar Nelson and parts of Tasman - is under MetService-issued weather warnings until Wednesday - where 220mm of rain and 120km/h gusts are forecasted for some areas.

However, after a few days of blustery, wet conditions - the sun is set to make more of an appearance across the country as the weekend approaches. However, the sunshine will be competing with clouds in most parts of the country.

Strong winds and rain are set to hit much of the South Island today and tomorrow, with weather warnings stretching from Marlborough to Southland.

Up to 220mm of rain is expected around the ranges in Westland; up to 140mm about the ranges for Buller and Nelson; up to 130mm for the headwaters of the Canterbury lakes; and up to 120mm in Fiordland.

While rain is set to drench much of the South Island's west tomorrow, it will be wind rattling the east side of the island tomorrow.

Wind warnings were in place for the Canterbury high country, where gusts could reach 120km/h, while residents in Clutha, Dunedin, Southland, north and central Otago, Southern Lakes, Canterbury Plains, including Christchurch, were also being warned of big winds.

North Island

Strong winds in Wellington could approach severe gales tonight and tomorrow morning with a warning in place from Monday 10pm-Tuesday 12pm.

MetService says periods of heavy will hit Taranaki, Taumarunui and Taihape tomorrow, as well as the Bay of Plenty, east of Whakatāne, tomorrow afternoon through to early Wednesday.

For Auckland, sunshine and cloud are on the cards for the week ahead - except for Tuesday, which is set to be the wettest of the coming days with rain in the afternoon and evening paired with strong northwesterlies.

It's a similar story for Whangārei - with cloudy periods and a few showers today before rain and strong northwesterlies tomorrow, and cloudy, mainly fine days for the rest of the week until Sunday where showers and easterlies are forecasted.