Whanganui weather will turn for the worse by the weekend

Whanganui woke to a solid frost on Monday morning. Photo / Bevan Conley

There was an icy start to the working week for Whanganui, with the temperature dropping to -0.9C overnight on Sunday.

Spare a thought for Raetihi as well, they got down to -4.7C.

MetService meteorologist Peter Little said it would remain mostly fine for the River City until Thursday but that, in turn, would mean those chilly mornings would continue.

"Things are looking pretty good for the start of the week but unfortunately, as we head into Thursday and Friday, there is a frontal system heading up the country," Little said.

"It becomes slow moving across central New Zealand later in the week.

"That'll bring some unpleasant weather for parents who have got kids to look after in the school holidays.

"It's going to be pretty wet by the end of the week."

However, that incoming cloud cover would offer protection from frosts, Little said.

"It will still be pretty chilly for Monday night and Tuesday night but later in the week, with the cloud and rain, it won't be anywhere near as cold.

"I'm sure people out there would swap frosty, clear days with the wet and cloudy ones though."

Little said overnight temperatures would remain around 3C-6C from Monday to Thursday, before getting "considerably warmer" as Whanganui headed towards the weekend.

"Keep the socks on in bed for the next three nights."

Daytime temperatures would increase throughout the week as the front approached, Little said.

"It'll be around 12C or 13C for the next few days, then we'll get up to 16C to 18C as we head into the weekend.

"That being said, people will have to make some indoor plans.

"The message this week is make the most of the fine weather while you've got it, because by the end of it we're looking pretty wet."