Party-goers will be swapping their sunglasses and suncream for umbrellas and rain macs to see in the New Year as the sunny weather which has brightened the holidays looks set to pass.
A fresh blast of wet and windy weather is set to hit the country, which has only started to enjoy more seasonal conditions after a slow start to the summer, MetService says.
A weather system moving across the Tasman Sea would bring a soggy start to 2015, meteorologist John Law said.
"Monday will be a good day to keep a close eye on the rain radar, especially if you are venturing out into the ranges, as we are likely to see some showers springing up through the afternoon and some of these could bring a rumble of thunder," he said.
Bands of rain are forecast to move from the Tasman Sea across the country by December 31.