Latest weather headlines for NZ over the next 24 hours…

* Southerly storm is still expected to gather momentum and hit Canterbury the hardest during much of Wednesday and Southland and Otago overnight tonight.

* High winds are likely for many western areas of the North Island overnight and tomorrow with peak gusts in excess of 100kph.

* Very strong winds may hit Nelson, Motueka, Takaka and Westport overnight or in the morning.

* Flooding may affect parts of Auckland tonight and or tomorrow morning as a result of king tides and gusty winds.Reports of Civil Defence staff tonight warning residents in lowlying areas of minor flooding this evening via a loud haler.

* Views of the transit of Venus may be a challenge for much of the country tomorrow due to heavy cloud cover in many places however pockets of sunshine over the far south and upper North Island could be possible.

* Bursts of heavy rain are likely for West Coasters and across parts of BOP and Gisborne.

* Raw temperatures are likely with the snow event over the south tomorrow but windchill factors are likely to cause issues for stock and people who venture outdoors if not properly prepared! Christchurch set to shiver throughout tomorrow.

* Heavy snowfalls could cause issue for travellers and powerlines may struggle under the weight of snow over parts of inland Canterbury and Marlborough.

WeatherWatch.co.nz will keep you updated throughout this particular event and venture on the roads over the south and east of the South Island only if necessary.

As always feel free to add your own reports as it all unfolds.

Story by weather analyst Richard Green

Picture of a snowy Caroline Bay, Timaru from recent years