Weekend weather: showers turn to downpours as wind direction changes

Downpours are expected on Sunday. PHOTO/Michael Craig

Holidaymakers hitting the road this afternoon will be in for a weekend of drizzle.

Weather Watch weather analyst Philip Duncan said in-land showers around the North Island will continue through to Sunday where they will likely turn to downpours.

This weekend is the start of the transition from the easterly weather we've had to the westerly weather we're going to get. Duncan said gusty winds may start to flare up and there's a chance of localised flooding and slips. From Monday the strong westerly blast will hit the country with classic windy-but-warm spring weather.

"It's a funny [weekend] where we're transitioning away from northeasterly showers to northwesterly showers."

Auckland will get milder weather than centres like Wanganui and the Wairarapa with more fine spells.

"Auckland is not looking too dramatic this weekend. It'll be cloudy with the odd shower, rain in the morning and isolated heavy falls on Sunday."

The swap to a westerly will bring warmer temperatures as the wind comes off the Australian desert rather than the Pacific Ocean. But there will still be some heavy downpours throughout the week.

"This shifts rain to the other coastline and brings sunshine out on the other coast.

"It's the old switcheroo."

Halfway through the week we can expect to see a classic spring front pushing into the country. On Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning we should get a northwesterly burst of rain with potential for a thunderstorm. The wind will then change to a southwesterly.

"That is classic spring and that's arriving next week.

"It's not perfect for the holidays but it's not that bad. We're New Zealanders, we can cope with this."

Duncan warns that some areas in the North Island may get localised flooding as a result of the Australian weather.

"It's not a region, it'll be a valley or a road in a region... We'll get localised flooding on the west coast of the North Island, anywhere from Kapiti Coast to Northland."

Duncan predicts October could be warmer than average which "ties into the theme of 2016".

"September and October are always crazy chaotic weather months that are all over the place."