Weather forecast: A cool and sunny Christmas

Christmas and Boxing Days look set to be cool and sunny for most around the country. Photo / 123rf.com

The best spots for enjoying a Christmas hamper outdoors will be in the Bay of Plenty, Nelson and Central Otago tomorrow.

Meteorologists are expecting a mild affair for most nationwide, with no extreme weather expected to hit over Christmas or Boxing Days.

Isolated showers and some cloud will linger this afternoon, in particular around the west of the country, but MetService forecasters are predicting a largely sunny day for most over the festive season.

Duty meteorologist Hannah Moes said the weather wasn't expected to dampen any celebrations and would be quite sunny, if not mild, for most.

"We are not expecting any severe weather," she said. "Places in the west are likely to see cloud and tomorrow morning some light showers, maybe for Christchurch."

Despite relatively cool temperatures in the late teens for most of the country today - barring Wanaka's expected high of 26C - things were expected to look up tomorrow.

Moes expected the sun would be out in force in a number of popular holiday hotspots for Christmas Day.

"We are looking at some quite fine weather in the Bay of Plenty, Nelson and Central Otago."

She said temperatures were expected to be around the low to mid-20, which was the "normal weather pattern" for this time of year.

Other popular holiday destinations were looking promising for those hoping to relax on the beach or take the Christmas hamper outdoors. Whitianga, in the Coromandel, will receive a good dose of sunshine tomorrow, and reach a balmy 24C.

Further north in Paihia, it was much the same picture, with temperatures of 24C and plenty of sunshine also forecast.

Meanwhile Queenstown was expected to celebrate the holidays with a fine and sunny, albeit cool, day. The high for Christmas was forecast to be 21C, which would climb to 25C on Boxing Day.

Around the main centres Auckland is forecast to have periodic showers today and tomorrow, but would be largely fine, with a high of 21C on Christmas Day. The capital will be slightly cooler with showers clearing today and a high of 16C creeping up to 18C in time for Christmas.

Boxing Day looks set to provide those keen to have an excuse to avoid retail sales mayhem an excuse to get out and enjoy the best of the holiday weather and hit the beach for both, with no rain for both cities.

It's also expected to be the warmest day for the capital, which will just hit 20C after a few days of temperatures hovering in the late teens.

Further south in the Garden City of Christchurch it would be a slightly cooler Christmas with some rain expected early in the morning, with a temperature of just 17C. However, things would also be looking up in time for Boxing Day with a high of 20.

Auckland
• Today
Fine spells, chance shower
H 20 L 16
• Christmas Day
Fine and cloudy periods, chance morning shower
H 21 L 15
• Boxing Day
Fine apart from morning and evening cloud
H 21 L 14

Wellington
• Today
Few showers clearing midday then fine
H 16 L 11
• Christmas Day
Fine and cloudy periods
H 18 L 11
• Boxing Day
Mainly fine
H 20 L 13

Christchurch
• Today
Morning cloud, chance shower, then fine
H 20 L 12
• Christmas Day
Odd morning shower, fine breakers increasing
H 17 L 11
• Boxing Day
Mainly fine
H 20 L 10

Coromandel
• Today
Fine spells and isolated showers
H 22 L 14
• Christmas Day
Mostly fine
H 24 L 13
• Boxing Day
Fine apart from areas of morning and evening cloud
H 24 L 11

Bay of Plenty
• Today
Sun
H 21 L 12
• Christmas Day
Fine apart from isolated afternoon showers
H 22 L 13
• Boxing Day
Mainly fine, areas of morning and evening cloud and isolated showers
H 21 L 13

Nelson
• Today
Fine, chance of afternoon shower
H 22 L 13
• Christmas Day
Fine
H 22 L 13
• Boxing Day
Fine, apart from isolated afternoon and evening showers about the ranges
H 21 C L 12 C

Central Otago
• Today
Mainly fine
H 24 L 8
• Christmas Day
Fine with light winds
H 22 L 7
• Boxing Day
Fine some high cloud
H 26 L 13

Go to www.metservice.com for more detailed weather information