New Zealand is in for a wet and windy spell  as a large weather system moves across the country.

This system also brings the possibility of localised intense rain for parts of the upper North Island on Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, the lower and eastern South Island could face a prolonged period of wet weather through the coming days.

Northland, Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, and Bay of Plenty were under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch overnight, indicating the possibility of pockets of heavy rain within these areas.

These intense bursts of rain over small areas could occur with or without thunderstorms, possibly resulting in localised surface flooding. 

“With the added potential for strong wind gusts of 80 to 100 km/h or possibly stronger, it may be a good idea to tie down any loose items that could be picked up by the wind,” said MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane.

Zooming out, several parts of the country are under Watches and Warnings for Heavy Rain, with the largest accumulations expected for mountainous areas.

“The weather system is pulling warm, moist air from north of the country, providing the fuel needed for the rain we’ll be seeing.”

Eastern Otago and inland Southland could be in for a wet few days.

“Rain is expected to persist from tonight through to the end of Friday due to an easterly wind flow feeding moisture into the area. In addition, the lower South Island is coming off the back of one of the wettest months they’ve had all year, so things are very sodden there. It won’t take a lot of rain for impacts to possibly be felt there.” 

Strong winds are also forecast for parts of the North Island, and the South Island may see heavy snow in elevated areas of Otago, with Watches issued for both. High-level roads and passes may see some snow settle near the summits, and Road Snowfall Warnings are in place for the Milford Road, Crown Range Road, and Lindis Pass.