Focus Live: Weather update - Rain and wind to continue for many across NZ
The week in weather will end much as it has been around the country for the past few days - wet and blustery.
But relief was in sight, MetService meteorologist Peter Little said.
A south-westerly flow has brought a mixture of rain, damaging winds and high waves to large swathes of the country this week, with fierce thunderstorms landing 4000 lightning strikes in the upper North Island on Wednesday, waves up to 10 metres thrashing exposed western coasts and tornadoes damaging homes and injuring two in the Far North.
The giant waves, which earlier prompted warnings to anyone considering fishing off rocks in the west and boaties who want to tackle dangerous river bars or harbours, wouldn't start to ease till Sunday, Little said.
"In fact it's not until quite late on Sunday that they really start to drop down."
Workers on the roof of Chrystal Kirkwood's damaged Far North home after a tornado struck Coopers Beach on Wednesday. Photo / Peter de Graaf
There was some thunderstorm activity around Northland this morning, with four strikes recorded, and there was still a thunderstorm risk in the next few hours for Northland and Auckland, he said.
"But it's more likely that there'll be some heavy rain, possibly with hail, before clearing this evening."
By the end of today showers would only linger in western areas of the North Island, where it would also be blustery in exposed places.
The weather was better in the South Island, but a front was on its way to the lower South Island and would bring rain to Fiordland, Southland and Otago this afternoon and evening.
A strong wind watch was also in place for coastal Southland, including Stewart Island, and coastal Clutha and the Otago Peninsula from 2pm today until 9am tomorrow.
"There could be gusts up to 90km/h on the Otago Peninsula."
The rest of the South Island would be mostly fine and not too cold, with frosts only likely in some inland areas and in Blenheim and the Southern Lakes, where temperatures are expected to dip to -2C overnight.
The top of the South Island and Bay of Plenty was looking the best of the bunch tomorrow, with fine, calm and mild weather on the way. Both Tauranga and Nelson are expecting 17C, and Blenheim 16C.
Zac Lam needs an umbrella as he crosses the footbridge over the Southern Motorway in Newmarket in the rain and windy weather on Wednesday. Photo / Jason Oxenham
That was because they were sheltered from the south-west winds, which would bring showers and blustery winds, especially in the morning, to the upper North Island, Taranaki, Wellington, Wairarapa, Banks Peninsula, parts of Otago and Southland, Little said.
A dusting of snow - 1cm to 2cm is expected - is also forecast for the Crown Range Rd between Queenstown and Wanaka between 6am and 3pm tomorrow.
And while it wouldn't be the nicest day for many, dangerous weather wasn't expected.
"We're not forecasting severe gales ... it'll just be an unpleasant wind for most people. But the good news is the winds do ease for most places as the day goes on.
"And it'll be mostly fine on Sunday. Sunday is looking like a much better day for most places."
