Spring conditions will spread into most parts of the country this weekend ahead of a short lived cold change which will move into the South Island later on Saturday then the North Island during Sunday and into Monday.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says temperatures in eastern areas are likely to hit the late teens as a warm and brisk nor’wester kicks in ahead of the cold front.

On Saturday Dunedin is expected to reach 17 degrees with snow on the hills by night time and sleet in the city on Sunday with possibly a few more snow flakes.  Snow isn’t predicted to be heavy.

Oamaru, Timaru, Ashburton, Christchurch, Masterton, Napier, Hastings and Gisborne are expected to be the warmest and driest of the main centres with highs potentially reaching the late teens as the warm winds move in. 

For South Island centres Saturday will be warmest while Sunday will be warmer for eastern North Island regions.  For western North Island centres Saturday is expected to be milder before a showery and cool sou’wester arrives during Sunday.

For northern New Zealand, such as Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Auckland and Northland, Saturday looks likely to be very spring-like with sunny and cloudy periods and building westerlies.  Highs will be in the mid-teens with overnight lows well above average in the late single digits or low double digits. 

Conditions for the All Blacks test against the Wallabies on Saturday night at Eden Park look mostly dry with cloudy periods and westerlies. 

Temperature at kick off, 7:35pm NZT, will be around 12 or 13 degrees. 

– Image / Spring in Canterbury last year, Holindu Abhayagunawardena

– WeatherWatch.co.nz