Weather: Fine spell to give way to rain

Fine spells are set to give way to rain. Photo / Duncan Brown

A sunny spell will give way to grim weather in days ahead as forecasters expect a front and cold southerly change to dominate the country.

But in good news for fans of warm weather, a high pressure system arriving on Thursday should stamp out the unsettled conditions.

Showers, some heavy, could fall as soon as this evening in the upper North Island, WeatherWatch said.

MetService said most parts of the country would have sunny weather tomorrow. But that would slowly deteriorate on Tuesday and Wednesday as a front moved northwards up the country.

The front was expected to bring bursts of strong and even gale-force northwesterlies in some eastern areas and in Wellington, MetService meteorologist Emma Blades said.

"In addition, heavy rain is likely in the west of both islands, the central North Island hill-country, and the eastern Bay of Plenty," Ms Blades said.

A cold and showery southwesterly change was expected to follow the front, bringing a wintry blast through Wednesday and Thursday. In the far south, showers were likely to fall as snow in altitudes from 500m above sea level.

The ridge of high pressure would start building on Thursday, ushering in a dry end to the week for most of New Zealand.

Your Monday forecast

•Whangarei: Sunshine interspersed with showers. Easterly breezes. Low 8C, high 15C
•Auckland: Mainly fine, afternoon showers possible. Southeast fizzles out. Low 9C, high 15C
•Hamilton: Fine with gentle breezes. Low 3C, high 15C
•Tauranga: Fine. Morning southeasterlies, then light winds. Low 6C, high 15C
•Hastings: A few morning showers, clearing to fine afternoon. Southeast dies. Low 1C, high 13C
•New Plymouth: Sunshine and gentle breezes. Low 6C, high 14C
•Palmerston North: Fine, apart from morning cloud. Light winds. Low 3C, high 15C.
•Wellington: A sunny day. Gentle breezes. Low 7C, high 12C
•Christchurch: Mainly fine, morning cloud or fog. Freshening northeasterlies. Low 5C, high 15C
•Dunedin: Mainly fine. Northeast freshening later. Low 7C, high 13C

Your Tuesday forecast

•Whangarei: Cloud developing, drizzle at times. Low 10C, high 17C
•Auckland: Becoming cloudy. Drizzle and northerlies developing. Low 10C, high 16C
•Hamilton: Cloud increasing, late drizzle. Northerlies developing. Low 7C, high 15C
•Tauranga: Occasional drizzle and northerlies developing. Low 10C, high 15C
•Hastings: Fine, high cloud later. Northerlies developing. Low 7C, high 16C
•New Plymouth: Becoming cloudy, rain at times. Northerly strengthens. Low 9C, high 14C
•Palmerston North: Cloud increasing. Northerlies strengthening. Low 7C, high 16C
•Wellington: Fine spells, with a few showers. Gusty southeasterlies. Low 9C, high 13C
•Christchurch: High cloud increasing. Fresh northeast dying out. Low 4C, high 16C
•Dunedin: Cloud increasing, brief rain. Dying northeasterlies. Low 4C, high 14C

(Source: MetService)