The most obvious chance of rain appears to be during Wednesday and Thursday for the country as a front slowly sweeps northwards.

A band of rain is expected to settle along the West Coast and parts of Southland tonight and then slowly work its magic as it heads northwards for the following 24-48 hours.

Light to moderate falls are the most likely outcome and the next sign of precipitation is on Friday but mostly aimed atthe South Island.

A weaker front is set to deliver showers but as it continues its trek up the Mainland at the end of the week it’ll run out of steam and slowly break up.

An anticyclone looks set to dominate the weather this weekend with mostly sunny skies over much of the country likely.

Temperatures are expected to take a hit this week with the arrival of the first front and central and southern areas could see the thermometer drop from five degrees to up to ten degrees below what has been experienced lately.
“For us here in the South island it’ll be a bit of a shock and Kaikoura down to Invercargill could struggle to make the low to mid teens on Thursday” says weather analyst Richard Green. “The good news is a belt of rain is moving in for most parts and some snow about the high country could fall as low as 500 metres”.

WeatherWatch sees conditions dry out this weekend but cool nights with dews and light frosts are possible under clear and calm skies.

WeatherWatch