Heavy rain watches remain in place for Mount Taranaki, Nelson west of Motueka, Buller and Westland from Hokitika northwards, the Marlborough Sounds to the Richmond Ranges, and Fiordland north of Doubtful Sound.
A strong wind watch is also in place for Taranaki, mainly south of the mountain, Wellington and Marlborough.
There is a moderate risk of thunderstorms about Buller and Westland north of Hokitika this evening, and about western Nelson, the Marlborough Sounds, Taranaki and Taumarunui this overnight.
These thunderstorms if they occur have the potential to bring localised heavy rain of 10 to 20mm/hr and small hail.
The front bringing the wet and windy weather will be a distant memory for most tomorrow with any persistent rain expected to clear East Cape around dawn.
However, another front will throw a spanner in the mix for west and southern regions of the far south.
Tomorrow will be mostly sunny for much of the North Island, with just a few clearing morning showers for the East Cape.
There will be some cloud at times in the west south of Taranaki which may deliver a light shower or two, mainly in the morning.
For the South Island, rain pushes onto South Westland from midday with heavy falls developing.
It will be mainly dry in the east with some high cloud, and a few spots of rain possible about Southland and Otago. These showers will then move through for a time in the evening with a southwest change.
On Friday, a slow-moving front weakens over central New Zealand as a ridge of high pressure spreads over southern New Zealand from the west.
The ridge moves on to central New Zealand on Saturday, while a weak trough affects northern New Zealand and a northerly flow develops over southern New Zealand.
On Sunday, the ridge moves away to the east, directing a moist northerly flow over the country, which strengthens in the far south ahead of a trough approaching from the Tasman Sea.
There is low confidence a warning will be required for severe gale northerlies and heavy rain in Fiordland on Sunday.
