Spring arrives tomorrow, but it seems winter is not done with us yet.
While most Kiwis will be enjoying the fine weather over the South Island there is some incoming rain, snow and cold temperatures.
There are severe weather warnings for the South Islands' West Coast, with a number
of wet weather systems piling in with 450 -500mm of rain in the mountains.
"It is nearly three days of solid rainfall for Northern Fiordland and Southern Westland from Otira southward," according to the MetService.
Some 300mm of rain is expected to spill across the main divide into the headwaters of South Island rivers from 3pm today until early Saturday morning
For Canterbury and Christchurch, temperatures for the first day of spring are forecast to hit 20C on Thursday, 18C on Friday and 19C on Saturday.
MetService meteorologist Stephen Glassey said a cold front was expected to move over the South Island later on Saturday and continue into Sunday, before moving over the North Island.
Auckland is set to remain cool, with highs of just 16-17C for the next five days, and forecast to drop down to 14C next Tuesday.
This infrared satellite loop shows a front in the Tasman Sea approaching the South Island this morning. It is expected to bring a prolonged period of rain to Westland from later today until Saturday, especially South Westland. Latest warnings are here https://t.co/qHyE5zzql5. ^SG pic.twitter.com/xKqDs5QEx8
— MetService (@MetService) August 30, 2022
Temperatures across the South Island are expected to fall to single figures next week, with Christchurch down to 9C on Monday and 10C on Tuesday with frosts.
It follows a front that is expected to cross the country tonight and become slow-moving, bringing significant heavy rainfall to the West Coast, Fiordland and the headwaters of the Otago lakes and rivers from tomorrow to early Saturday.
The drop in temperature on Saturday night was expected to bring snow to much of the southern region, he said.
"We're forecasting snow down to about 300m in Southland and the Clutha area, and certainly there will be some for parts of Otago.
"The flow does look quite westerly following this front, so it may be that lots of Otago is sheltered from that flow.
"It doesn't look like much will get into Dunedin - possibly just a dusting.
"We'll just have to wait until we get a bit closer to the time, to be sure about that.
"Certainly the skifields will see some fresh snow."
💧 Another week, another moist air mass headed for Aotearoa New Zealand...
— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) August 30, 2022
The latest plume is poised to move into the western South Island late Wednesday. A moisture-laden low may pass near the North Island on Sunday/Monday.
A drier, cooler, southerly surge in early September! pic.twitter.com/Py2DCIU6ky
He said there were indications that the colder-than-average temperatures would continue across the country next week, so the snow might continue into Monday and Tuesday.
Despite the forecast, he said it was still too early to say with certainty where or how much snow would fall.
He said residents should keep up-to-date with the weather forecast.
Additional reporting John Lewis ODT