If you were in Napier or Hastings yesterday, you probably felt like you were melting. Temperatures north of 37°C aren't just "hot" for New Zealand; they’re record-threatening. But today, Wednesday, January 14, 2026, the vibe has shifted. The sweltering, muggy pressure has finally broken, replaced by a messy, unsettled Tasman low that’s currently dragging rain across the middle of the country.
It’s messy. It's damp.
Honestly, it’s a classic Kiwi summer reset. We go from "records could roll" to orange heavy rain warnings in the span of 48 hours. MetService meteorologist John Law has been pretty clear that while the weekend was for the history books, new zealand weather today is about average January temperatures and localized drenchings.
The Big Shift: Heavy Rain and Thunderstorm Watches
Right now, a low-pressure system is sitting over the Tasman Sea, and it’s moving squarely over the central parts of the country. If you’re in the top of the South Island, you’ve likely already seen the clouds thicken. An Orange Heavy Rain Warning is currently active for the Marlborough Sounds, Richmond Range, and the Rai Valley.
We are talking about 90 to 110mm of rain through Thursday.
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Peak rates could hit 25mm/h. That's enough to turn a dry creek into a surge pretty quickly. MetService isn't just worried about the wet; they've flagged a "moist unstable northwesterly flow" that’s triggering thunderstorm risks. Taranaki is under a severe thunderstorm watch starting early tomorrow, but the instability is already bubbling up today across much of the North Island.
Regional Breakdown: Who’s Getting Drenched?
Auckland is sitting at a relatively comfortable 23°C (73°F) right now, but it’s gray. The humidity is hanging around 82%, making it feel much stickier than the thermometer suggests. Expect light rain to develop as the day progresses. It's not a washout for the City of Sails yet, but the ASB Classic tennis organizers are already eyeing the radar with some anxiety.
Wellington is, well, Wellington.
After those 120km/h gusts grounded nearly 80 flights at Wellington Airport on Sunday, things are slightly calmer but much wetter. Rain is developing this morning and will become more persistent by evening. The temperature has plummeted compared to the weekend highs, struggling to get past 18°C.
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Down in Christchurch, the heat alerts from the weekend are a distant memory. It’s mostly cloudy with a high of about 20°C. You might see some rain tonight, but the real action is further north.
Why the Heat Collapsed
Basically, we had a massive ridge of high pressure that allowed the sun to just bake the eastern coasts. When you combine that with a "foehn" wind effect—where air warms up as it drops down the side of the Southern Alps—you get those crazy 37°C days in Hawke's Bay.
But highs that big are usually precursors to a front.
The Tasman low acts like a vacuum, pulling in moisture from the tropics and slamming it against our mountains. That’s why the West Coast and the top of the South Island (Nelson/Marlborough) are getting the brunt of it now. It’s the atmosphere trying to balance itself out after that extreme heat.
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A Quick Word on Lake Hood
If you’re in Canterbury and thinking about a swim to cool off, don't. Health New Zealand (Te Whatu Ora) just issued a fresh toxic algae warning for Lake Hood today. The blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) is blooming because of those high temperatures we just had. It looks like green globules or scum. It'll kill a dog and make a human very sick, so keep the pets on a lead.
What to Expect for the Rest of the Week
Tomorrow, Thursday, January 15, looks even more unsettled. The rain that’s starting today will become "widespread, heavy, and thundery" for the North Island by tomorrow afternoon.
If you're tramping or camping:
- Check the river levels. They rise faster than you think in these Northwesterly flows.
- Clear your gutters. 110mm of rain is a lot of weight if your downpipes are blocked with dry leaves from the heatwave.
- Watch for slips. The ground was baked hard last week, and heavy rain on parched soil often leads to surface runoff and flash flooding rather than soaking in.
The good news? By Sunday, high pressure is expected to expand over the country again. We’ll see lighter winds and the return of "hotter days," though hopefully without the record-breaking intensity of last Sunday.
For now, keep the raincoat handy and keep an eye on the MetService radar if you’re driving through the Rai Valley or Taranaki. The new zealand weather today is proof that summer in Aotearoa is never just one thing for long.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check the MetService "Thunderstorm Outlook" map before heading out this evening, especially in central regions.
- Avoid Lake Hood and monitor the LAWA (Land, Air, Water Aotearoa) website for other toxic algae updates in your area following the heatwave.
- Review your travel insurance if you have flights booked through Wellington this week; the unsettled low could cause further "operational disruptions" similar to Sunday’s gale-force cancellations.