Waves of rain are travelling across the country this week, with heavier bouts set to lash both islands at the start of the school holidays.
Most of the North Island is in for a wet start to the week because of a “plume of moisture” moving out
School holiday weather: MetService forecasts wet start with heavy rain for both islands
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“Tomorrow is the spring equinox so our days will noticeably start to get longer from now on, before we switch the clocks forward for the start of Daylight Saving this Sunday.”
☔ New Zealand's recent active weather pattern will continue this week as low pressure in the Southern Ocean sends waves of rain and wind toward the South Island.
— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) September 21, 2025
🌧️ The North Island will also be wet early in the week due to a plume of moisture moving out of the subtropics. pic.twitter.com/TXv2YsL0Xr
MetService issued heavy rain warnings for Taranaki Maunga until 11am on Tuesday, and the Tararua Range until 2pm on Tuesday.
Wellington and the Marlborough Sounds are under a heavy rain watch until 12pm on Tuesday. Heavy rain watches for the ranges of Westland south of the glaciers and the Otago headwaters are expected to be lifted early on Tuesday, MetService said.
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The active front over central New Zealand should move slowly onto western parts of the North Island, while a second front moves weakly over the central South Island.
The west of the South Island is forecast to be hit by rain, which may be heavy at times. Showers elsewhere in the south will ease later.
MetService said there is low confidence that a warning will be required for heavy rain for the Tararua Range, Taranaki and parts of the North Island central high country, as well as southern Westland.
Rain lingers across the west of the North Island, Wellington and Marlborough today and into Tuesday.
— MetService (@MetService) September 21, 2025
Down south, another area of rain pushes into Fiordland and Westland. pic.twitter.com/0YxO9tTU4f
What’s in store for Wednesday?
On Wednesday, the North Island will get potentially heavy rain in the northern half and showers across the rest of the area.
The front should drift slowly eastwards over the North Island, bringing a period of north to northeasterly rain, MetService said.
In the South Island, showers are expected in the west and south, with rain for Fiordland. It will be mainly fine elsewhere.
MetService said there is low confidence of warning amounts of rain from Great Barrier Island to Bay of Plenty and northern Gisborne/Tairawhiti.
Jaime Lyth is a multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald, focusing on crime and breaking news. Lyth began working under the NZ Herald masthead in 2021 as a reporter for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei.