A strong wind watch is also in place for the Canterbury High Country until 3am tomorrow.
Law said 110km/h gale-force gusts were likely in the most exposed areas of Wairarapa.
“It’ll be a windy day for us in Wellington as well, gusts of perhaps 90km/h.”
Law said as the cold front moves up the country, before the system, there’s expected to be a “good squeeze” in the winds.
“The front itself brings some wetter weather, so we’ll find that rain creeping up the country, arriving in places like Wellington from about midday tomorrow and then running up into Taranaki.”
The system is forecast to sweep across the rest of the North Island tomorrow with some “sharper showers” behind it.
Law said the “odd rumble of thunder” was expected through parts of the Canterbury High Country and Canterbury Plains in the afternoon.
He said people should be mindful of larger swells, particularly on the western coast and exposed southern coast.
The front is expected to move through by Friday but a “southwesterly feel of air” and showers would remain.
“It does get a bit drier as we head on in towards the weekend; high pressure rebuilds back towards us.”
Snow warnings
Law said a couple of cold days are on the way to end the working week for some places.
Law said spring snow is likely on higher mountain passes, prompting a road snowfall warning for Crown Range Rd from midnight until 3am.
Milford Rd (State Highway 94) is under the same warning until 3am.
After the warmer long weekend, he said it has been a “classic story of springtime”, with temperatures moving up and down.
Road Snowfall Warnings ⚠️ ❄️ 🚗 🚧
-Crown Range Road | Midnight Wed to 3am Thu
-Milford Road (SH94) | Midnight Wed to 3am Thu
Snow is expected to affect these roads in the very early hours of Thursday morning, when 1 to 2 cm may accumulate on the top.
More info:… pic.twitter.com/Gwug2Mk6uV
— MetService NZ (@MetService) October 27, 2026
For example, Dunedin hit highs of 21C today but is set to drop to 13C or 14C tomorrow, which is cooler than normal for this time of year.
Law said Invercargill and Gore might struggle to reach above 11C with the southerly wind coming through.
Towards Friday, he said it would be a “cooler feeling” day with 9C and 10C expected for those areas.