The North Island should batten down the hatches this week, as gale-force winds tear across large parts of the island.
Gales exceeding 120km will hit on Wednesday, fuelled by an area of low pressure deepening around the country.
Auckland and the surrounding areas are especially exposed to these winds. The gales will then move down the North Island to hit Wellington, the Cook Strait area, Taranaki and the Wairarapa.
- Gale force winds to bring 9 metre swells to New Zealand - WeatherWatch
- Wild West Coast: Huge swells expected this weekend
The wind will blow over quickly, according to WeatherWatch, but it could still cause power cuts and make driving more dangerous.
The South Island can expect rain and snow with both the Kaikoura Ranges and Canterbury under heavy snow watches for Tuesday and Wednesday.
People are advised to keep up to date with the latest Metservice weather watches, available here.
Newshub.
