The weekend southerly is already easing across the country but another low, then another southerly are on the way.

Despite a colder than average night last night today is resetting to ‘normal’ in many places for early June. While it feels cold that’s mostly due to comparing how things have felt for many weeks with above normal daytime highs. In fact in the very south temperatures today are already lifting just a little above normal as winds tilt more westerly.

Tonight will be cold again, nationwide. Many regions will be 4 to 8 degrees below average while some inland will be over 8 degrees below normal. Expect frosts in parts of the South Island tonight and possibly some higher elevation parts of the North Island.

A sub-tropical flow over the North Island on Tuesday warms things up above normal though, ahead of the incoming low.

By Wednesday a low will cross the North Island with a burst of wind and rain and thunderstorms to the north. The low looks smaller than forecasts were suggesting a couple of days ago but may still produce pockets of severe weather due to heavy rain and also the risk of thunderstorms.

Then by Thursday in comes the next southerly blast which by Friday surges once again up and over the North Island.

It means a milder start to this week but a bleaker, windier, wintry end – Friday especially.

The set up this week will again produce heavy snow in the mountains and ranges of both islands, heavy rain (mostly North Island) and windy weather nationwide by late week. The windiest weather later this week looks to hug coastal areas but especially central and eastern areas of both islands on Friday. There may be a few powercuts but generally winds look below damaging threshold despite being blustery.

Wild winds and the big variation between low pressure and high pressure will churn up very dangerous waves along New Zealand’s western coastline with a peak of 10 to 11 metre waves coming in on Friday.

High pressure comes in this weekend and calms things down gradually and will last into next week for the set up of Fieldays at Mystery Creek near Hamilton – but the forecast may possibly go downhill somewhat mid next week as this high departs. We’ll keep you posted.

3 DAY RAINFALL FORECAST:

3 DAY SNOWFALL FORECAST:

– WeatherWatch.co.nz