A series of fast moving fronts affects much of the country during the outlook period, bringing rain to western parts of central and southern New Zealand and west to northwest gales to many places.

Severe Weather Warnings and Watches are in force for a number of regions, says the MetService.

"A ridge of high pressure moves onto northern New Zealand from the Tasman Sea on Tuesday, then lingers through Wednesday, bringing settled weather there. Meanwhile, a strong and moist northwest flow develops over southern New Zealand on Wednesday.

"There is high confidence rainfall amounts will reach warning criteria about Fiordland, Westland, Buller, and the Otago/Canterbury headwaters on Sunday, and low confidence of warnable amounts of rain for the Tararua Range on Sunday."

Additionally, there is high confidence of severe west to northwest gales about Otago, Southland, Stewart Island and southern Fiordland on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, says the weather organisation in its latest update.

"There is also high confidence of severe northwest gales for Marlborough (except the Sounds) and Canterbury on Sunday and Wednesday.

"For Central Hawke's Bay, the Tararua District, Wairarapa, Wellington and the Marlborough Sounds, there is high confidence of severe west to northwest gales on Sunday and Monday.

"For the remainder of Hawke's Bay there is moderate confidence of severe west to northwest gales on Sunday and Monday. Also on Sunday and Monday, there is low confidence of severe west to northwest gales for Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Taupo, Taihape, South Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatu to Kapiti, and northwest Tasman.

"On Wednesday, there is moderate confidence of warnable amounts of rain for Fiordland."