Heavy rain and cold front forecast

The story so far

Warm, moist air was forecast to bring rain and gusty winds across New Zealand from Tuesday to Thursday, with a marked temperature drop to follow when cooler Southern Ocean air arrived late on Thursday.^{12 Oct} The warm spring weather had recently brought highs of up to 28C, before a cold front from the Southern Ocean was expected to bring a sharp temperature drop later in the week.^{13 Oct} A slow-moving weather front brought heavy rain and strong winds to much of the country, with an orange heavy rain warning issued for Buller and persistent rain forecast for the West Coast and Canterbury.^{13 Oct} MetService also issued a heavy rain watch for Dunedin and parts of Otago starting Wednesday evening.^{13 Oct}

Latest

A cold southerly flow is expected to move north and cause temperatures to plummet by as much as 16C.^{15 Oct} MetService has issued watches for heavy rain and snow, with snow possible on South Island highways and the Desert Road.^{15 Oct}

Key moments

1. 12 OctWarm, wet weather forecast, with cooler Southern Ocean air due late Thursday.
2. 13 OctMetService issues heavy rain watch for Dunedin and parts of Otago.
3. 13 OctOrange heavy rain warning issued for Buller as slow-moving front crosses country.
4. 15 OctCold southerly flow forecast to drop temperatures by up to 16C.
5. 15 OctSnow watches issued for South Island highways and the Desert Road.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.