While the North Island is in for settled, summery weather this weekend, the South Island is in for some rain and wind.
The forecast follows a spell of relatively cooler temperatures across the country, after a "cold southerly intrusion" by southwesterly winds earlier in the week.
"It's a tale of two islands this weekend," says MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris. "The South Island is battered by strong northwesterly winds and heavy rain while most of the North Island is in for a settled weekend with a return to summery temperatures."
MetService has issued a number of severe weather warnings in the South Island, as a front moving up the West Coast brings heavy rain to western areas and central and southern areas feel the brunt of northwesterly winds.
In the lower South Island, heavy rain warnings have been issued around the headwaters of Otago lakes and rivers, around the headwaters of Canterbury lakes and rivers from Rakaia River southwards and for Fiordland. Strong wind warnings have been issued around the Southern Lakes area and in Fiordland, Southland and Clutha.
In the central South Island, there are heavy rain warnings in place for Westland between Franz Josef Glacier and Otira, around the headwaters of Canterbury lakes and rivers from Rakaia River southwards, Westland from Franz Josef Glacier southwards and the headwaters of Otago lakes and rivers. Strong wind warnings are in place for the Canterbury high country from Rangitata River northwards and the Canterbury high country south of Rangitata River.
Things are set to improve after the weekend, according to MetService, with much of the country set for an extended period of fine weather.
Further north, in the tropics, meteorologists are keeping an eye on an 'active' weather system that has the potential to turn into a tropical cyclone. There has been an active belt of rain around Tahiti, Rarotonga, Samoa Fiji, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands, in recent days, bringing plenty of thunderstorms and downpours.
A low around the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu is set to deepen over the weekend, possibly turning into a tropical cyclone, reports WeatherWatch.
Although the meteorological agency stressed that computer modelling is "definitely not in agreement yet about timing and tracking", it said it was "fairly certain that a number of lows will start spinning" in the tropical southwest Pacific and Coral Sea areas over the next two weeks.
"For now there is no direct concern to New Zealand for any potential cyclone, but those heading to the tropics for holidays may be keen to track," WeatherWatch said.
Although one model forecast the low could directly hit New Zealand next week, another model "shows higher confidence that high pressure in NZ will dominate, holding these lows back away from NZ and bringing us an uptick in summer weather and less rain".
WeatherWatch said it makes its forecasts by using data from over 100 weather models.
