Wild weather will hit the south today, the east coast warming up with highs of 24 ° C

Wild weather days will rage across the country today with torrential rains on the west coast and gales in the eastern regions.

Southern and central New Zealand is under a series of warnings and watches as equinoctial gales howl across the country for the next 48 hours.

MetService warns that a fast-moving front will bring strong winds, with gales hitting Wellington, Wairarapa and parts of the eastern South Island. In addition, there will be heavy rains on the west coast and the lower part of the North Island.

This morning, the forecaster raised the gale force wind alert to the warning level for Wellington and Wairarapa before the early hours of the morning. There is now a heavy rain warning for the coast of Kapiti, Horowhenua and Manawatu.

Coupled with stormy gales from the northwest, increasing to storm force speeds of around 120 km / h in parts of Canterbury, Wellington and Wairarapa, torrential rains will drench the western regions of both islands, and the South Island will face five days of no- stop the rain.

The most rain is expected to fall in Fiordland and the West Coast with astonishing levels of up to 240mm in the next 21 hours.

MetService warns that the gales will be so strong that they risk damaging trees, power lines and blowing up unsafe structures.

Meanwhile, the eastern regions of both islands will enjoy mild temperatures for the rest of the week.

Christchurch is scheduled to hit 24 ° C tomorrow, and temperatures will only drop early next week.

Napier is also scheduled to enjoy highs of 22 ° C today and 23 ° C Thursday, while Gisborne enjoys similar mild days for the rest of the workweek.