Rain to usher in 2012 - but sunshine will return

The rainy spell is expected to last from tomorrow to the end of the weekend, or early next week. Photo / Thinkstock

Brilliant holiday weather will be interrupted with a wet New Year expected across much of the country, predicts a forecaster.

MetService weather ambassador Bob McDavitt said the sunshine and balmy weather enjoyed by Kiwis across the country was expected to fade and would be replaced by stagnant rain clouds likely to arrive at the end of the week.

He said the large anticyclone that brought sunny weather to the country was due to drift east.

An area of low pressure was expected to slide in and bring wet weather to round out the year, Mr McDavitt said.

"A trough is moving in to replace the sunny high we've been having for the past few days. The moist northerly flow should sweep a rain band on to the North Island during Thursday and Friday.

"There is also likely to be a southerly change over the South Island at the same time and this may cause some of the rain to stall around central parts of the country or over the northern half of the South Islandby the end of the week."

Mr McDavitt said the southerly sweeping up the South Island would be accompanied by "a little bit of a rain band", which would bring much needed rain to the dry Southland area tomorrow or Thursday.

Invercargill was his recommended place to be on New Year's Eve, as a new dry anticyclone might be moving on to the deep south.

The rest of the country was likely to be wet, he said.

The rainy trough was likely to last from about tomorrow to the end of the weekend, or early next week.

"It's giving a wet end to 2011, but probably clearing away reasonably smartly in 2012. It's just a few days, just an interruption to the holiday weather. It's not the end of the holiday, it's not here to stay."

Mr McDavitt said there was still some uncertainly as to the amount, location and timing of the peak rain, and campers would need to pay particular heed to the weather forecasts and warnings over the next few days.

The 10-day forecast on the MetService website showed Auckland having fine periods today, before spells of rain lasting from tomorrow through to Wednesday next week.

Wellington is likely to see rain or showers from Thursday to Sunday, followed by spells of sun and cloud next week.

Christchurch is forecast to have rain or showers from Thursday until Wednesday next week, interrupted by a fine day on Sunday.

In Dunedin, MetService has forecast showers moving in on Thursday which will last until the following Wednesday, again interrupted by a sunny New Year's Day.