Whanganui weather: A rainy week in the works

A low pressure system heading for Whanganui will cause rain for most of the coming week. Photo / Bevan Conley

Rain is heading for Whanganui on Monday afternoon, and it will probably be sticking around.

MetService meteorologist David Miller said it would be an unsettled week overall in the region, with periods of rain throughout.

"A low-pressure system is gradually heading south today and once that low crosses during the middle of the week, the whole country will be in an unsettled westerly flow."

He said this would have various troughs and fronts that enhanced rainfall.

Miller said it was now the coldest time of the year.

"We're at the minimum now, then in August, the average temperatures will very slowly rise," he said.

"Throughout the coming week temperatures sit between 14C-15C, so around the average for this time of year."

Miller said last weekend Whanganui was under the influence of a ridge of high pressure, which caused more-settled weather.

"The high pressure was sitting over much of the South Island and lower North Island over the weekend, which meant the weekend was actually alright."

Whanganui Airport weather station recorded overnight temperatures getting down to 3.6C, and increased to about 5C around sunrise on both Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Sunday reached a high of 13C, and 11.5C on Saturday - about average for this time of year in Whanganui.