Here’s what is making the weather headlines today….

NEW ROUND OF WARNINGS – HEAVY RAIN

A front gathers strength in the Tasman Sea today and fires into South Westland bringing heavy rain, heavy rain pushes northwards reaching into Buller overnight.

On Tuesday it’s the top of the South Island’s turn and the upper North Island as the front mentioned above pushes in from the west.

The Tasman, Nelson and Marlborough regions will be somewhere to watch considering the recent heavy rain we had in the weekend just been. The heavy rain due for the upper North Island looks particularly heavy from afternoon into the evening then easing as a front moves through.

More on rain watches and warnings from Metservice here.

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TEMPERATURE DROP LATE TUESDAY / WEDNESDAY

A southwest change develops about the lower South Island on Tuesday afternoon, this is where temperatures will start to cool down. It’s on Wednesday as this change moves northwards that temperatures will noticeably feel cooler.

Canterbury will have highs in the late teens or early twenties on Tuesday, on Wednesday Canterbury will likely struggle to reach the early teens.

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SNOW FOR THE RANGES

As a cold change moves northwards over the country over the course of Tuesday, Wednesday and even into Thursday some snow is likely about the ranges of both Islands.

Once we step back and see how this cold change will have likely performed when conditions ease on Friday, snow is likely to have fallen to 400 or maybe even 300m for the lower South Island, 400 to 500m for the upper South Island, above 600m for the Central North Island. Accumulations above the mentioned levels will naturally be more, to the mentioned levels it may only be a dusting.

The South Island gets hit with it’s coldest temperatures and therefore snow to the above mentioned levels on Wednesday and Thursday, the upper South Island clears on Thursday morning but showers continue up the eastern coastal fringe.

The North Island gets it’s cold air with snow to the above mentioned level on Thursday.

Overnight Thursday remaining rain or showers clear for most apart from the far south but temperatures about the far south will warm therefore the snow level lifts.