Western side of the country hammered by wind and rain

Western parts of the country are in for a soaking. Photograph / Glenn Taylor.

Stormy wet and windy weather is hammering the western side of the country today.

A nasty front is lying over Buller, and heading north as the day progresses.

Eastern areas of the country are escaping the worst of it, as hills through the centre of New Zealand are keeping the worst rain pinned to the west.

MetService meteorologist Lisa Murray said Buller had a "good pile of rain" sitting over it, but the nasty weather would soon be noticed elsewhere.

"That'll be right up that coast, from Wellington, up Kapiti, and all the way around to get into Taranaki.

"Even later this evening, Northland will get it."

Wind is also whistling through the Cook Strait, hitting gusts of up to 105km/h.

"We have the definition of a storm through Cook Strait.

"That's winds of around 93km/h, which are quite northwesterly, and gusting at higher speeds."

The weather is expected to lose some ferocity as the day goes on.

But it's too late for some: cruise ship the Dawn Princess was unable to dock in Wellington this morning.

It's now making its way to Napier instead.

Main centres outlook

Whangarei: Mostly sunny, rain developing evening, 26C. Tomorrow, early showers, then fine, 22C.

Auckland: Mostly sunny with evening rain, 23C. Tomorrow fine and 20C.

Tauranga: Mostly sunny with brief evening rain, 24C. Tomorrow is fine, 23C.

Hamilton: Northwesterlies and rain in the afternoon, 23C. Tomorrow is fine and 20C.

Wellington: Morning rain and gale northwesterly, 18C. Tomorrow is fine with easing northwesterlies, 19C.

Christchurch: Long fine spells with a gusty northwesterly, 22C. Tomorrow is fine, 22C.

Dunedin: Showers, with a chance of heavy hail in the afternoon, 19C. Tomorrow is mainly fine, 19C.