Cold front brings rain and a drop in temperature for most of the country

Most of the country should wear an extra layer and keep the brolly handy today as rain looms. Stock Photo.

A ridge hangs over most of New Zealand today bringing more rain and strong winds for parts of the country.

Northland and the far south are in for a fine day, with the possibility of high cloud, but the rest of the country should wear an extra layer and keep the brolly handy.

A slow-moving front is lying over Waikato and Coromandel and brings low cloud and patchy drizzly rain for areas from Auckland down to Taranaki.

Further north is looking drier with areas of sun. Light winds will tend northeast in the afternoon.

MetService meteorologist Amy Rossiter said the front will slowly sink south today and spread rain into Whanganui, Manawatu and then finally into Wellington this evening.

"The eastern side of the North Island, so Gisborne and Hawke's Bay, will stay reasonably fine but some cloud may get into those northern areas," Rossiter said.

"As this feature sinks south, the top corner of the South Island will get some rain, so the Nelson and Buller regions, and then further down to Westland and the Canterbury High Country this evening."

Rossiter said the front will also bring some very strong easterly gales to the Stephens Marine area, the Cook Strait and the top of the Golden Bay area.

"The far south will have some high cloud, but otherwise it should be a fine day for them. Northland should have a fine day too."

Winds are light and variable for the south, then tending east to northeast later on.

Later in the week, there is a small chance of rainfall reaching warning criteria in Westland, Buller and northern parts of Nelson.

Low pressure just west of NZ could linger for a week. Map / WeatherWatch.co.nz

Today's weather

Whangarei:

Long fine spells, chance evening shower. Light winds. 25C high, 18C overnight.

Auckland:

Overcast with patchy light rain. Northeast breezes. 24C high, 19C overnight.

Hamilton:

Mostly cloudy with occasional light rain. Easterly breezes. 20C high, 16C overnight.

Tauranga:

Overcast with a few showers. Northeast breezes. 22C high, 19C overnight.

New Plymouth:

Mostly cloudy. Rain at times. Northeasterlies. 21C high, 17C overnight.

Napier:

Often cloudy and the odd morning shower. Easterly breezes. 21C high, 16C overnight.

Wellington:

Fine spells, then rain developing evening. Southerly dying out evening. 19C high, 14C overnight.

Nelson:

Fine with high cloud at first. Rain setting in from late afternoon. Light winds. 19C high, 14C overnight.

Christchurch:

Often cloudy. Northeasterly developing afternoon. 16C high, 12C overnight.

Dunedin:

Often cloudy. Northeasterlies developing morning. 17C high, 13C overnight.