Low cloud is sweeping over the country as a low in the Tasman Sea deepens Saturday.  

Auckland’s Sky Tower and other high rise buildings disappeared into the low cloud during Friday, dragged in by northerlies with near 100% humidity.

Head weather analyst Philip Duncan says the warmer northerlies will considerably lift overnight lows by as much as 10 to 15 degrees compared to last week over the next two nights.

“Places like Auckland, Tauranga and Whangarei will see overnight lows between 12 and 14 degrees over the next few nights.  Last week they were around -1”.

Drizzle and light rain are expected for many northern and western regions of the North Island over the next 24 hours..

“Conditions will continue to go down hill over the next 48 hours and while they’ll improve in the north, gales, snow and heavy rain will move into the south”.

Mr Duncan says the next wintry storm is expected early next week.  “Rain will build along the West Coast with gales moving in to a number of regions from the lower North Island to Southland”.

“By mid next week southerlies will affect all of New Zealand with a significant drop in temperartures compared to today”.