Covering period of Thursday 12th - Sunday 15th March

• Rain up and down the country on Thursday and Friday
• Muggy nights for the upper North Island
• Showers clearing early this weekend, except for the far south

A warm and wet end to the working week is in store, but good news is on the horizon for those wanting to get out to the many events on around the motu this weekend. Showers clear out for most on Saturday, and Sunday’s gentler winds make it the pick of the bunch.

Aotearoa New Zealand is being squeezed between fronts, with rain spreading down from the north and up from the south during Thursday. Yellow Heavy Rain Watches kick off from Thursday evening for the Coromandel Peninsula, western Bay of Plenty, and Fiordland, and from Friday for Buller, Tasman, and the ranges of Westland.

Everyone will see at least a splash of rain on Friday, as the northern front slides southeast and the southern one zooms northwards. For much of the North Island, as well as the northwest and southeast South Island, the latter half of Friday also brings a risk of thunderstorms.

MetService meteorologist Silvia Martino advises, “With possible thunderstorms in the forecast, very heavy rain could show up in spots outside the broad-scale Heavy Rain Watch areas – Friday will be a day to keep an eye on the rain radar, wherever you are in the country.”

As well as heavy rain, the warm, moist air being dragged down from the subtropics brings muggy nights to the upper North Island. From Northland to Bay of Plenty, overnight temperatures for Thursday and Friday are forecast to stay in the high teens or even low twenties, with Dargaville expecting a sweltering 21°C overnight tonight (Thursday), and Kaitaia and Whangārei not far behind on 20°C.

Strong southwesterly winds sweep through early on Saturday, clearing out the rain and humidity for most, although showers linger in the far south. Sunday looks even sweeter, with winds easing off and clear skies letting afternoon temperatures warm up into the twenties for much of the country.

“It’s set to be a sunny weekend up and down the country, whether you’re heading to Pasifika Festival in Auckland, Homegrown in Hamilton, the T20 Doubleheader in Tauranga, Pride events in Wellington, or getting out and about in your own backyard,” says Martino.

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