Heavy rain and strong winds forecast for school holiday weekend
Thursday 1 October 2026 · 3 outlets · 3 reports · updated In this story MetService
A weather front is expected to move from the South Island northwards, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to much of New Zealand. The unsettled conditions are forecast to begin in the south on Friday and reach Auckland and Northland by Sunday.
Key facts
3 facts
- Heavy Rain Watch: Fiordland north of Doubtful Sound, Friday 7am-3pm
- Strong Wind Watch: Southland, Clutha, Dunedin, Central Otago, and Southern Lakes, Friday 3am-noon
- Forecasted wind gusts: up to 90km/h in exposed places
The full story
1 min read · 3 outlets
A weather front is expected to move onto the South Island overnight before tracking north across the country this weekend. The system will bring heavy rain and strong winds, ending a relatively settled period of weather.
A Heavy Rain Watch is in place for Fiordland north of Doubtful Sound from 7am to 3pm on Friday. A Strong Wind Watch has been issued for Southland, Clutha, Dunedin, Central Otago, and the Southern Lakes from 3am until noon on Friday. Northwesterly winds could reach severe gales in exposed areas, with gusts potentially hitting 90km/h.
Temperatures are forecast to reach the low 20s in eastern areas on Friday as northwesterly winds strengthen. However, temperatures are expected to fall sharply behind the front, with some areas that reach the low 20s on Friday potentially struggling to exceed the high teens over the weekend.
Rain is expected to affect the South Island from Friday afternoon into Saturday, including Nelson, Marlborough, and Canterbury. The front is forecast to reach the lower North Island on Saturday morning, bringing rain to Wellington, Wairarapa, Hawke's Bay, and Gisborne. By Sunday, the rain is expected to move over Auckland and Northland, while conditions improve for much of the country by Sunday afternoon.
Where reports differ
- One report specifies that rain will affect Nelson, Marlborough, and Canterbury on Saturday, while another notes rain in the South Island will ease to showers late in the morning.
Compiled from reports by 1News, NZ Herald and Stuff.
