Severe weather warning - heavy rain
A strong moist northwesterly flow is expected to spread over the South Island and lower North Island from Friday night through Saturday. The northwesterly precedes a front which is forecast to move east over the South Island during Saturday afternoon and evening. Rain is expected about western parts of the South Island and the lower North Island, with the heaviest falls about Fiordland, Westland, the Buller Ranges.
Heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. Surface flooding and slips are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous.
Area: Buller and Westland north of Otira
Valid: 17 hours from 6:00am to 11:00pm Saturday
Forecast: Expect 80 to 100mm of rain to accumulate about the ranges, with 40 to 60mm closer to the coast. Peak intensities 10 to 15mm per hour Saturday afternoon and evening.
Area: Westland south of Otira
Valid: 18 hours from 3:00am to 9:00pm Saturday
Forecast: Expect 200 to 250mm of rain to accumulate about the ranges, with 80 to 120mm closer to the coast. Peak intensities 20 to 30mm per hour from Saturday morning, with thunderstorms possible. Note, after the heavy rain, showers continue until Sunday afternoon.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
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