Heavy rain tipped to pound east

Heavy rain is expected to hit eastern parts of the North Island this weekend, while the rest of the country gets away with just a shower or two.

Aucklanders are in for some early fog in areas, turning to fine spells with isolated showers from the afternoon.

MetService issued a heavy rain warning for Gisborne but the rest of NZ can expect a mostly fine day today.

The national forecaster said a deluge on the East Coast could cause streams and rivers to rise quickly.

“A rather complex trough developing over the North Island is the rainmaker,” MetService meteorologist Stephen Glassey said.

Surface flooding and slips could make driving dangerous.

The rain is expected to last until tomorrow morning, with the most from this afternoon until midnight.

MetService forecast up to 150mm of rain, with the largest downpour expected north of Gisborne City.

From Waikato to Wellington, along the west of Te Ika o Te Maui the North Island, scattered rain should ease to showers north of Taranaki.

But the South Island should have mostly dry weather as a ridge of high pressure moves across it.

A low moving in from the Tasman Sea is expected to bring wet and windy weather early next week.

More snow could fall in inland parts of the South Island, but not as low as this week.

Wintry conditions lasted into spring this week, with snow falling in Dunedin and Christchurch on Monday and Tuesday. Snow also fell on the mountain passes across the South Island and in Hawke’s Bay.

On Tuesday, Auckland recorded its coldest night of the year, as Niwa recorded 1.8C at Western Springs.

While some lament a lingering winter, Glassey said, “changeable weather is typical of spring and fluctuations in temperature are expected. It is not uncommon to get warm, settled weather followed by cold outbreaks at this time of year.”