Rain likely to usher in spring

Recent days have been so clear, Mt Ruapehu has been visible from Hamilton. Here it's seen from Till's Lookout, Dinsdale, Hamilton.

Enjoy the sunny weather this week - it may be the last for a while, as rain is likely to welcome the official start to spring.

The last of the sun-filled days stretched over the upper North Island yesterday, rounding up what has been a brilliant past few days in Auckland, Hamilton, Whangarei, Tauranga and New Plymouth.

In Hamilton, the crisp blue sky allowed locals to see Mt Ruapehu, about 100km away.

Long-time resident Marissa Morris said: "It was particularly white and the sky was particularly blue - whereas sometimes it looks a bit grey but I can still make it out.

"It was just one of those beautiful, clear winter days."

Although most of the North Island is again forecast to be mostly fine, there will be cloudy patches this morning and cloudy periods tomorrow through to Thursday.

Aucklanders can expect a high of 15C today and an overnight temperature of 5C.

Thursday night will be slightly warmer - but still chilly - at 8C.

Friday, however, will bring drizzle that may become rain and is thought to be just the first of a series of days of rain and northwesterly winds around the North Island.

MetService's 10-day forecasts for most cities in the North Island show rain starting from Friday, through to the weekend, as well as rain on the first day of September next Monday.

Duty forecaster Frances Russell said the recent good weather had been a result of a large high moving over the country.

"Into Friday, there's a low developing in the Tasman Sea, which starts to affect the north of the North Island," Ms Russell said.

"We've got drizzle developing from Northland through to the Bay of Plenty and then turning into rain in the far north."

Wellington looks to escape the rain until Sunday and the South Island can look forward to mostly fine weather this week. But temperatures will drop severely on some days; including in Christchurch, where an overnight temperature of -2C has been forecast tomorrow and -1C on Wednesday.

Vaimoana Tapaleao