A front sweeps northwards over New Zealand on Wednesday bringing rain or showers to most regions for a time, heavy in the west.

As a front sweeps northwards over New Zealand on Wednesday expect heavy rain for the West Coast of the South Island to ease from afternoon, rain may become heavy about Taranaki in the afternoon then easing there in the evening.

A few spots of rain spread into eastern regions for a time. A period of showers moves through Otago in the afternoon with a southwest change, reaching Canterbury in the evening.

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson – WeatherWatch.co.nz