New Zealand is in for warm, wet and windy weather next week with NIWA warning a "significant rain and wind event" is likely next Tuesday-Friday.
"At this point, it looks like the western, inland, and northern South Island will see the heaviest rain, including some drought-affected regions," it said on Facebook.
Rain is also expected for the North Island, although NIWA said these totals aren't looking as heavy as what is heading down south.
A WeatherWatch forecast video shows wet weather dropping into the Tasman Sea and Southern Ocean on Monday.
It's trying to get towards us, but gets held up by a high pressure system over New Zealand "like a car being stuck behind a slow truck", head forecaster Philip Duncan said on his YouTube video.
On Tuesday rain will start to push into the West Coast with "strong gale-force westerly winds", and a subtropical flow for many places.
Wednesday will see subtropical winds for a number of regions while a low pushes more rain onto the South Island.
Duncan said rain starts to be more widespread on Thursday and low pressure spreads around the North Island and the upper South Island by Friday.
"If you're in Marlborough and Nelson this is a great map to look at but just don't 100 percent lock it in," he said.
NIWA warned this will likely be a "significant rain and wind event", which could impact some dry regions.
"Dry, cracked grounds may have trouble absorbing the moisture, which could contribute to a chance for flooding."
