She said a few showers would hit Northland and Gisborne today, but most places in the country would see clear skies.
The clear skies would make for warmer days, but frosty nights, Wotherspoon said.
“Sort of like Wednesday, Thursday, we are going to see temperatures getting into some of those like mid-to-late teens ... those will be quite sunny days.”
She warned Kiwis not to swap out shorts for raincoats just yet because rain is due to set in as the weekend begins.
Yesterday, a swath of severe weather alerts was issued nationwide, with forecasters warning those in the firing line to “batten down the hatches”.
MetService meteorologist Clare O’Connor said the weather was being driven by an intense cold front moving northwards, colloquially known as a “southern buster”.
“A southerly buster is a particularly strong cold front, characterised by blustery wind changes and a large drop in temperatures”.
Although the skies have cleared and wind has subsided, O’Connor said the wild weather would linger into today.
Heavy swells of up to 6m were expected for the east coast of the North Island and the Chathams. Tairāwhiti Civil Defence posted a wave warning, saying it was expected to cover Mahanga to Lottin Pt from 9am until 6am tomorrow.
O’Connor said the weather should begin to calm in other areas, with a high-pressure system expected to build over the country. Wednesday should start with below-average temperatures, particularly around the central North Island.
“The cold snap is short-lived with above-average temperatures expected from Wednesday afternoon as milder westerly winds develop about the lower half of the South Island, then spread northwards over Thursday.”
“Another swing to the lower end of the temperature scale, and a burst of heavy rain could be seen over the weekend.”
Rachel Maher is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. She has worked for the Herald since 2022.
