Wet end to the weekend for most of the country

A series of fronts moving over the North and South Islands have meant wet weather and gale force winds battered much of the country this weekend.

Today is forecast to bring much of the same, with severe weather watches remaining in place for many parts of the South Island.

The rest of the weekend will be reasonably wet in Auckland, with showers set to continue tomorrow and Tuesday.

MetService has a severe weather watch in place for heavy rain and severe gale west to northwest winds for many parts of the South Island today and tomorrow.

The heaviest rain is expected in Fiordland, Westland south of Otira and the headwaters of Canterbury and Otago lakes and rivers, and a warning is in place for these areas.

MetService meteorologist Andrew James said the pattern would continue through the weekend, with more fronts bringing rain mainly to the west, while the east coast of both islands should remain a little drier.

A southwesterly flow of wind meant temperatures would stay low in the south for the next few days, James said.

Aucklanders got a shock to the system on Friday when the unseasonably warm May temperatures dropped suddenly.

While it's set to be reasonably wet for the rest of the weekend and early next week in Auckland, it won't be cold.

The temperature is forecast to sit at about 19C.

Today's outlook

• Auckland: Fine spells. A few showers, mainly in the evening. Westerlies. 19C high, 13C overnight.
• Hamilton: Fine spells but chance of showers. Westerlies. 18 and 10.
• Tauranga: Mainly fine, but a chance of a shower or two from afternoon. Westerlies. 18 and 12.
• Wellington: Mainly fine, but a few showers at night. Northwesterlies rising to gale in exposed places in the afternoon. 16 and 12.