Westerly winds are going to surge off and on and reach severe gale force in some locations over the next week or two as an early spring weather pattern emerges across southern Australia and New Zealand.

The unsettled weather pattern means heavy rain at times for the West Coast and around Mount Taranaki and the Tararua Ranges, however for many other places rainfall this week maybe below average with above normal temperatures.

Severe weather warnings are likely – for the potential of damaging gales and some heavy rain.

We have your forecast across New Zealand through until Sunday.