Strong winds are set to batter Auckland, Great Barrier Island, and the Coromandel Peninsula on Sunday, August 31, with MetService issuing an Orange Warning for severe southwesterly gales forecast to gust up to 120 km/h from mid-afternoon through midnight. MetService has also warned that these strong wind conditions could cause trees and power lines to fall and create challenging driving conditions for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.

Additionally, strong wind watches have been issued for Northland and Waikato on Sunday, and for Hawke's Bay south of Hastings, the Tararua District, and Southland south of Gore, Clutha, and Dunedin on Monday.

Metservice advises preparing your property by securing any items that strong winds could pick up and driving cautiously during this time.

Motorists are being urged to take extra care this weekend, with MetService issuing road snowfall warnings for several key alpine routes in the South Island.

On the Crown Range Road, rain is expected to turn to snow this evening and overnight, with 2 to 3 cm of accumulation likely on higher sections of the road and lighter falls down to 400 metres. Conditions are expected to ease by early Sunday morning, though more snow is forecast later in the day.

The Lindis Pass (SH8) is also set to see snow, with up to 1 cm predicted on higher parts of the road from Saturday evening through to early Sunday morning, with flurries down to 500 metres.

On Milford Road (SH94), snow showers are already affecting the highway this morning, with 1 to 3 cm expected to settle above 700 metres. A brief spell of rain may occur in the afternoon, before snow returns in the evening, adding another 1 cm above 600 metres. Further snow is likely on Sunday.