Gumboots and umbrellas will be needed alongside the school uniform on Monday, with showers and rain forecast for parts of the country next week.
The MetService says those in the North Island can expect a mostly cloudy day on Monday, with showers developing early and rain possibly turning heavy in the west and south.
Aucklanders are in for a few showers on the first day back to school, with a temperature high of 28C and an overnight low of 19C.
The weather authority said tomorrow brings the last official month of summer and, with it, muggy conditions.
“Humidity will become more noticeable for the upper North Island as the day unfolds and is expected to be worse [on] Monday.”
Temperatures range from the mid to late 20s for much of the North Island tomorrow and through to next week, with Gisborne forecast for a scorching 30C to kick-start the working week.
On Tuesday, the City of Sails is in for another cloudy day and with more rain forecast in the morning. A high of 24C is forecast that day.
Those in Wellington can expect nothing but rain and strong northerly winds on Monday – and even more showers, some heavy, on Tuesday. That is expected to clear by evening that day.
In Whangārei, a temperature high of 29C will make for a hot first day back to school. It is forecast to be partly cloudy with the chance of a shower in the morning.
Sunday begins the last month of summer, from a bookkeeping, or meteorological perspective ("meteorological summer").
— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) January 30, 2026
And, for most, it's looking pretty good!
Humidity will become more noticeable for the upper North Island as the day unfolds, and is expected to be worse Monday. pic.twitter.com/owEYlPunCY
Gisborne is expected to be mainly fine on Monday, but with a chance of a shower from the afternoon.
Further south, the skies are set to be clear and sunny in Christchurch, while things are bit gloomier in Dunedin, where showers are expected to turn to rain by Monday afternoon and evening.
The weather authority has issued a heavy rain watch for Fiordland for the 16 hours between 11pm tomorrow to 3pm on Monday.
“A front is expected to bring a period of heavy northerly rain to Fiordland on Monday and a heavy rain watch is now in force,” MetService said.
“People are advised to keep up-to-date with the latest forecasts.”
A🟡Heavy Rain Watch🟡has been issued for Fiordland spanning the 16 hours from 11pm Sunday the 1st of February to 3pm Monday the 2nd of February.
— MetService NZ (@MetService) January 30, 2026
The forecast is for a period of heavy rain; where amounts may approach warning criteria, with a moderate chance of upgrading to a… pic.twitter.com/7s3T2DLBPJ
Locals are advised that a period of heavy rain may approach “warning criteria”. There is also a moderate chance that the watch will be upgraded to a warning.
Rain and showers are forecast in the South Island again on Tuesday, but it is expected to clear for most places from the afternoon, except for Canterbury.
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