Fickle weather on way, but signs of long summer days close behind

Beach weather will arrive in a week. Photo / Jason Oxenham

A "massive" high-pressure system will bring up to 10 days of settled summer weather in New Zealand - but Kiwis will have to wait another week for heat to roll over from baking-hot Australia, where the mercury has nudged 50°C.

Kiwis were last night facing their own weather woes, as the MetService issued a severe weather warning for this morning. The lower North Island and Marlborough Sounds were expected to get heavy rain and gale-force winds.

WeatherWatch head analyst Philip Duncan said a massive high over the Great Australian Bight next weekend was headed our way, but the lead-up to its arrival would not be flash. "It's looking like it's going to come in for the third week of January, but there will be southeasterlies before it gets here."

He believed settled weather delivering temperatures in the mid to high 20s would last seven to 10 days in some areas. "The places to be are the East Coast, and the further north you go, the better. Hawke's Bay, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty are looking good."

Before then a fickle "spring pattern" would have to be endured.

Tomorrow would be settled with fine weather in all four main centres and temperatures ranging between 21°C and 24°C.

But by early Wednesday a front would reach the North Island, triggering afternoon showers and the odd thunderstorm north of Waikato and the Bay of Plenty, Duncan said.

The lower North Island would stay mostly dry, but the southern part of the country would start to feel the effects of an incoming southerly. The weather would remain fickle across the country at the end of the week.

MetService meteorologist Elke Louw said the heavy rain that hit parts of Nelson and Taranaki yesterday would move into Waikato and Waitomo today. High cloud over Auckland and Northland was expected to bring rain today but clear during the afternoon and evening.

A wind warning has also been issued for Marlborough, Wellington and Wairarapa today. Exposed areas could face gusts of up to 120km/h. The winds could also affect Kapiti, Taihape and Hawke's Bay.