Summer heralded, but chilly spring storms still brewing

MetService is forecasting the wet weather will reach the North Island by Tuesday, accompanied by strong northwesterly winds. Photo / Doug Sherring

Summer is coming but forecasters are warning not to take the extra blanket off the bed just yet.

Although much of the country is basking in golden sunshine this weekend, forecasters are warning a repeat of the cold snap that brought snow, hail and frost to parts of the country last week will hit in the coming days.

Niwa forecaster Chris Brandolino says spring often brings changeable weather, and summer is still a few weeks away.

MetService forecaster Georgina Griffiths said the short-term outlook was great, with a large high bringing sunshine and warmer temperatures to much of New Zealand for the next few days.

Claire De Renzy, 3, above, enjoyed a taste of summer at Mission Bay yesterday, but the good weather is expected to turn when a succession of fronts bring heavy rain to western parts of the South Island.

MetService is forecasting the wet weather will reach the North Island by Tuesday, accompanied by strong northwesterly winds.

"So don't put away that extra blanket," Griffiths said.

She said it had been a cool spring to date mainly as a result of the frequent southwesterly winds over New Zealand dragging up cold air from the south.

There had been several cold outbreaks that brought snow and frosts to some regions.

Temperatures had yo-yoed to reach the late-20s in eastern New Zealand before plummeting to near freezing days later.

Griffiths said Auckland had experienced the third-wettest September on record with 175mm of rain, nearly 200 per cent above usual levels. A whopping 266mm of rain fell in the past two months.