Extreme weather

Widespread Severe Weather Event Expected on Labour Day Following a Respite

Strategic Insights

Oct 23, 2025 — 1 min read

As the long weekend kicks off, many parts of New Zealand will be relieved to hear that settled conditions are forecast for the next few days after a wet and wild week. However, this reprieve won't last long, with another widespread severe weather event shaping up for Monday, bringing heavy rain, strong winds, and even snow to some areas.

Key Takeaways:

The severe weather event on Monday is expected to affect much of the country, including Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury, Otago, and Southland.
Localised heavy rain is expected, with some areas potentially exceeding 100mm of rain in a short period.
Severe northwest gales are forecast for areas from Northland to Marlborough, with possible impacts on travel and further stress on the electricity grid.
Snow is expected to reach unseasonably low levels for parts of Canterbury and Otago on Monday night, potentially affecting travel and daily activities.
MetService meteorologist Silvia Martino advises holidaymakers to keep an eye on the Severe Weather Outlook and Warnings and Watches in case conditions worsen.

Statistics:

245mm of rain was recorded at Mueller Hut in Canterbury High Country in 15 hours.
Temperatures in the North Island reached record highs on Thursday, with Hastings reaching 32.1°C and Kaikoura and Whangarei observing their highest October temperature on record.
Extreme weather conditions on Thursday caused damage to infrastructure and properties, widespread power cuts, flooding, and road closures.
Gales are forecast for Central Hawke's Bay and the Tararua District on Sunday.

Sources:

MetService. (2025). A weekend breather before Monday's storm Widespread wild weather on Thursday Settled weekend for many Further severe weather expected on Monday (Labour Day). Retrieved from MIL OSI New Zealand News (http://milnz.co.nz/mil-osi-aggregation/) - Copyright 2025 Multimedia Investments Ltd, distributed by Contify.com

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