Severe weather warnings are in place for much of the country, with snow forecast to hit southern regions in the early hours of Friday morning.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected in the upper South Island until 1pm on Thursday afternoon.
The wet weather will then move down to the West Coast, with heavy rain expected in the Westland District on Friday.
MetService has also issued a heavy snow watch until Friday morning for Canterbury, Central Otago, and Queenstown.
Further heavy snowfall in these regions is expected heading into the weekend.
A strong wind watch is in place for Wairarapa, with winds expected to approach gale in some areas until Friday afternoon.
Parts of the upper South Island and West Coast are likely to see gales in exposed areas overnight on Thursday and possibly on Friday evening.
The wild weather is forecast to continue until Monday, with more severe weather warnings expected in the coming days.
MetService has advised people to keep an eye on the forecasts for further updates.
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