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Home / The Country

MetService weather warning as cold front brings heavy rain and strong winds

Samuel Sherry
Journalist·NZ Herald·
16 Dec, 2025 04:00 PM2 mins to read

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MetService afternoon weather update: 16 December. Video / MetService

MetService warns an active cold front will shake things up across New Zealand over the next few days.

Heavy rain and strong northwest winds, which struck the South Island yesterday, will spread to the North Island today.

And behind the front comes a sharp cool change, with unsettled southwesterlies.

“Temperatures will feel much cooler than last week, with many towns only reaching the mid-teens to high-teens,” MetService said.

“While it might feel cool this week, remember Christmas is still over a week away.”

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Forecaster John Law said there would be a risk of thunderstorms in the North Island today, with showers developing for Wellington, Wairarapa and parts of the west coast.

🌧️💨🎄An active cold front is shaking things up across Aotearoa early this week. Heavy rain and strong northwest winds are affecting the South Island today and spreading to the North Island on Tuesday. Behind it comes a sharp cool change, with showery, unsettled southwesterlies… pic.twitter.com/JCHEecaiRN

— MetService NZ (@MetService) December 15, 2025

Heavy showers would make their way across the centre and east of the North Island, with rain also set to impact the western top of the island in the morning.

“We’ll find they become more isolated for the afternoon but still rather blustery south westerlies through Auckland,” Law said.

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The heavy rain will move off the country tomorrow, except for a sprinkling of showers on the South Island’s west coast.

According to MetService, conditions on Thursday will be partly cloudy with scattered showers, but mainly dry in Auckland, Waikato and the Coromandel Peninsula.

Meanwhile, in the South Island, showers are forecast to affect Fiordland in the morning, spreading further north in the afternoon.

On Friday, a front is expected to move rapidly northwards over the South Island, followed by a cold southwesterly flow.

“The front brings brief heavy rain to western areas and Southland,” MetService said.

“Snowfall is possible on mountain passes in the far south of the South Island.”

Temperatures this week across New Zealand are forecast to be cooler than the previous two warm weeks.

According to the MetService, Auckland will reach a high of 20C and fall to a low of 14C, while Hamilton will have a maximum of 19C and a low of 8C.

On the eastern side of the North Island, Tauranga will hit a high of 21C and a low of 11C, while Gisborne’s temperatures will range from 21C to 9C.

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