Rain and showers would start falling on southern and eastern areas, including Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti tomorrow.
Thunderstorms were also expected to rumble across central and eastern parts of the North Island affecting communities still cleaning up from Cyclone Gabrielle.
While the heaviest rain was reserved for the parched South Island by the time it reached the North Island it would likely turn to showers.
“However we do have a risk of thunderstorms within those showers and they’re going to be mostly in the ranges of Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti for Saturday afternoon and evening. That’s obviously not welcome news.”
On top of the wet weather, the South Island was set to see the mercury plummet to some of the coldest daytime highs felt this year.
“We are expecting a big drop in temperature, particularly for the South Island. By the time the southerly change reaches the North Island we will be seeing a little drop but only a few degrees,” said Owen.
She said it marked a return to “the normal sort of weather that we were more used to”.
Temperatures in the South Island would sit in the mid to high 20s today before dropping to the mid-teens by Sunday.
She said it shouldn’t be too bad for Auckland with the southerly petering out and bringing just a couple of showers at the most.
“There might be one or two showers across the entire region so any particular person might not see anything.”
Temperatures remained “bang on average” for this time of year, around the low-to-mid 20s.
Owen said while cooler temperatures would stick around for a few days by the middle of next week it was expected to warm up again.
