An explosive band of showers currently covering Auckland is bringing torrential rain to parts of the city, while heavy snow and gale-force winds continue to batter other parts of the country.
The heavy rain could bring isolated flash and surface floods in the city and motorists were advised to drive with extreme care, WeatherWatch head analyst Philip Duncan said.
Meanwhile, winds of up to 120kmh have been howling in parts of Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay today while snow and strong winds continue to affect the south of the South Island.
MetService said strong northwest winds between Masterton and Napier had the potential to damage powerlines and trees and make driving dangerous, however, conditions were expected to ease later as the front moved northeast.
A chilly front over the South Island brought snow to low-levels in Fiordland, Southland and southeast Otago overnight and a severe snow warning remained in place for the Catlins, where there may be further heavy snow above 300 metres today.
Southwesterlies along the Catlins and Otago coasts could reach severe gale at times today and early Monday morning.
A snow warning for Fiordland has now been lifted but some snow showers could continue above 300m during the day. MetService advised people in affected areas to keep up to date with forecasts and to take care on the roads.
