October set to kick off wild weather

The country is in for a wild October. Photo / Mark Mitchell

October is set to live up to its billing as the stormiest month of the year with forecasters predicting violent and windy weather.

Weatherwatch analyst Phil Duncan said we could be in for a "pounding" after the spring equinox on Wednesday.

"The arrival of the equinox is Mother Nature's green light to kick off the violent spring weather."

Duncan said a "massive low" would move in from Australia towards the end of the week - closely followed by another low soon after.

We can expect heavy rain and an increased chance of thunderstorms in the west and drier weather in the east, where temperatures could reach 29C.

Metservice weather ambassador Bob McDavitt expected more southwesterly winds, which would swing the temperatures from above to about or below normal.

McDavitt said the change was typical of a spring El Nino weather pattern and was likely to stay for the next few months.

An El Nino pattern tends to bring New Zealand stronger, more frequent winds from the west in summer, typically leading to drought in the east and more rain in the west.