MetService is forecasting wet days ahead, particularly about the western regions of Aotearoa New Zealand, as prevailing westerly winds bring rain from both the north and south of the country. Drier, sunnier days are on the horizon at the end of the week as a large area of high pressure builds in the Tasman Sea.

Following an eventful Labour Weekend which saw Whanganui reach 24.1°C while an estimated half a metre of snow fell at Aoraki Mount Cook Village, the outlook of a quieter weekend of weather may be a pleasant one, but there are a few days to get through before we get there.

A cold front spiralling into an area of low pressure to the west of the South Island has been bringing steady rain to the north and west of the South Island on Tuesday. As the low-pressure system moves eastwards through Tuesday evening, the western South Island clears but for the northeast of the South Island, as well as the North Island, will be in for a wet night – with thunderstorms and hail possibly in the mix too.

MetService Meteorologist Clare O'Connor elaborates, “Plenty of lightning has been detected out in the Tasman Sea embedded in this cold front, but even if these thunderstorms do not continue once the front makes landfall over the western North Island late Tuesday afternoon, heavier showers and hail are likely through the evening.”

While the worst of the rain is forecast to fall overnight with the passage of the front, another band of showers traverses the North Island on Wednesday morning, clearing off early evening. At the opposite end of the country, a rainy Wednesday evening in Southland and Fiordland leads into a rainy Thursday for those same areas as well as the West Coast - conditions in these regions will remain relatively unchanged as the rain slowly makes its way northwards on Friday.

An additional bout of rain is forecast to move over the North Island at the end of the working week before a more settled weekend for most.

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