A cold snap is set to usher in sub-zero temperatures and a bleak 48 hours across New Zealand with school holidays starting on a wet and icy note.
A tropically-fuelled low packed with rain is starting to unleash on the top half of the North Island while flood-ravaged parts of the South Island are set for another round of intense downpours coupled with a polar blast that will bring widespread snow.
MetService is warning of a stark and sharp change in store for today with temperatures in the south taking a dive, coupled with wet weather, as a cold front sweeps up the island.
Heavy rain warnings and watches were this morning extended to include northern regions including Auckland, Northland, Coromandel Peninsula and Bay of Plenty. Heavy rain is forecast to fall for 24 hours from 3am Saturday to 3am Sunday.
"At this stage it looks like the heaviest rain will affect Auckland and Coromandel Peninsula and it is likely that a warning for those areas will be issued closer to the event," said the forecaster.
The alerts were previously issued for western regions of the South Island and the bottom half of the North Island through to Mt Taranaki. Up to 180mm is expected to fall in Kahurangi National Park at the top of the South Island.
