Covering period of Monday 11th - Friday 15th May

• Large area of high pressure pushing onto the country, bringing settled weather into next week.
• Rain for Auckland and parts of Northland and the Coromandel Peninsula later Monday and into Tuesday.
• Cooler mornings return, with fine weather for northern and western areas, but some gloomier days ahead in the east as cloud builds up.

After the heavy rain and strong winds of the last few days, the country is set to return to calmer, quieter weather as a large area of high pressure builds and sticks around into next week. But a few flies in the ointment mean it won’t be perfect autumnal weather for everyone.

A slow-moving front brings rain to parts of the upper North Island from late Monday and into Tuesday. There may be bursts of heavier rain about northern Auckland and Great Barrier Island, but the risk of any severe weather is low. On Wednesday, this front drifts northward and weakens away as high pressure comes to dominate the country. Elsewhere, a few showers hang around the lower South Island and the eastern North Island, but most of the country will see cooler, drier and sunnier weather as we head into the second half of the week.

Into Thursday and Friday cloud starts to build in the east, with the weakening autumnal sun taking longer to clear it. 

MetService Meteorologist Braydon White says “With winter three weeks away the sun’s rays are continuing to weaken, and they are beginning to struggle to burn off cloud in the afternoon.”

Eastern and inland areas may notice cloud sticking around longer, with the potential for some gloomier afternoons in Christchurch and Wellington as we look towards the weekend. Northern and western areas however, like Auckland and New Plymouth, have some stunning days ahead.

© Scoop Media