The recent southerly change is now being “locked in” according to WeatherWatch.co.nz forecasters, as a large high from the Tasman Sea starts to move onshore.

Weather analyst Philip Duncan says the southerly flow over the past Sunday and Monday sent cold air across the entire nation – and now the high is coming in which means more frosts and cold mornings.  “The cold air is is now lying across New Zealand and overnight when the winds ease back that cold air will sink into the valleys.  The high will basically lock in the cold air for the rest of the working week”.

Mr Duncan says Wednesday and Thursday mornings will likely be the coldest of the week.  “With the high moving in and those cold southerlies gradually easing the sun should be able to start warming things up a bit.  So over the next few days we’ll see daytime temperatures slowly creeping up a degree or so each day and by the weekend the overnight lows should do the same”.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says frosts will mainly stick to sheltered inland places at this early stage with eastern parts of the North Island, mainly around Gisborne, ruled out from frosts this morning due to a southerly wind and passing clouds with the odd shower.

By Sunday or Monday the weather news authority predicts a developing nor’east flow as the current high moves east of New Zealand and a new Tasman Sea low with sub-tropical connections follows behind it.  “We may well have some warm northerly rain next week, which farmers and those who rely on rain water will no doubt appreciate”.

WeatherWatch.co.nz maintains that temperatures in May should remain around average to even slightly above average based on current weather patterns which show no seismic shift anytime soon towards more winter-like weather.

– WeatherWatch.co.nz