An active front over the upper South Island Monday afternoon is expected to continue moving north over central New Zealand this evening and early Tuesday.A strong moist northwest flow ahead of the front is expected to bring a period of heavy rain to the Tararua Range and Mount Taranaki. 80mm of rain is forecast for the Tararua Range from late this afternoon until early Tuesday morning, while 80mm is also possible about Mount Taranaki overnight. People in these areas should watch out for rapidly rising rivers and streams. Strong northwesterly winds ahead of the front, have been gusting to severe gale in exposed places of Wellington this afternoon, and further gusts of 120 km/h can be expected in parts of Wellington and also southern Wairarapa until late this evening. Winds of this strength can damage trees and powerlines and can make driving hazardous, especially for motorcycles and high-sided vehicles.

Heavy rain about the ranges of Westland, and the headwaters of the Canterbury lakes and rivers south of the Waimakariri River has now eased and the heavy rain warning for these areas is cancelled.