MetService has today issued a number of heavy rain warnings for the South Island’s west coast and along with WeatherWatch.co.nz is also monitoring a potential sub-tropical low this Friday and Saturday.

Between tonight and Tuesday afternoon heavy rain should set in across the West Coast.

Later in the week a low is expected to develop in the sub-tropics and drift towards northern New Zealand.  While confidence is still low (due to it being a number of days out) the latest computer model updates over the past 24 hours have all confirmed the presence of a low in the north at the end of the week.

MetService has “low confidence” of rain warnings for Northland on Friday and Saturday, which is standard for a potential system so many days out.

However in between Tueday’s heavy rain in the west (which will will significantly weaken once it moves north and runs in to high air pressure) and the end of week sub-tropical low, the skies over New Zealand should clear.  Just the risk of a few showers in the west will remain then a southerly change in the South Island could see showers and possibly snow for some areas around Thursday.