What is the Christmas Day weather forecast? Bay of Plenty and Coromandel can expect rain

A “decent spell of rain” is forecast for the region on Christmas Day, with muggy and cloudy conditions leading into the big day.

MetService meteorologist Thapi Makgabutlane said the North Island will be under a moist and humid northerly airflow over the weekend, all the way into Boxing Day.

“This brings plenty of warm, albeit cloudy, conditions for the Coromandel, and the Bay of Plenty including Rotorua, accompanied by bits of wet weather at times,” she said.

The weekend would be generally muggy for Coromandel, Tauranga and Rotorua, with some patchy drizzle about, Makgabutlane said.

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”Warm daytime temperatures in the mid-20s, and that warmth tends to stick around overnight as well, only dropping to the high teens.

“This trend continues into Christmas Day, with a decent spell of rain looking likely, especially during the second half of the day but there is some wiggle room regarding the timing.

“Temperatures look to be fairly similar as well.”

Makgabutlane said the humid and warm weather will linger into Boxing Day with the possibility of some rain.

It's been generally settled and warm these last few days, but we've been keeping a close eye on the moisture spreading across the country this weekend which brings the potential for rain to many places, maybe even into Christmas Day.

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“However, there are early indications that the cloud may start to break up during the day.”

Makgabutlane said those hoping to have a day at the beach over the coming days would need to keep a close eye on the forecast and it was recommended to have a wet weather plan..

“With so much cloud about, it’s easy to forget that the sun still poses a risk, so as always, remember to keep the sunscreen on hand and stay sun smart.”