Sunny in Auckland but rest of NZ not so good

Heavy rain and gales expected for parts of the country. Photo / NZ Herald

Winter is coming slowly in Auckland as May got off to an unusually warm start thanks to mild northerlies sweeping across the top of the north island.

Philip Duncan of Weather Watch said winds coming from the sub tropics were responsible for unseasonably warm weather, "especially in Auckland."

"[Nowhere else] is as warm as it is up here, it feels more like March at the moment."

Mr Duncan said a high east of New Zealand was helping pull warm winds from the sub tropics across the country.

This, combined with northerly winds from the Tasman Sea meant warm weather over most of the country.

"It's not really cold anywhere, certainly not for this time of the year."

However he said cooler weather is due to move through the country next week.

"Friday of next week there's a Southerly change coming."The temperature is expected to drop by 4 or 5 degrees in most places by the end of next week.

Meanwhile in the capital, the weather may be warmer than usual but that doesn't mean it's mild.

MetService said severe gales reaching 130 km/h were expected to blast exposed parts of Wellington and southern Wairarapa before easing this afternoon.

MetService also issued a heavy rain warning for Fiordland, northwest Nelson and parts of the lower and central North Island.

"An active trough that has brought large amounts of rain to Westland today is expected to affect Nelson this evening and then move slowly northeast over the North Island bringing heavy rain to the ranges of northwest Nelson, the Tararua Range, Taranaki, Waitomo, Taumarunui and Tongariro National Park," MetService said.