The weather around NZ, Australia and the South Pacific is showing all the hallmarks of mid to late spring with frosts in the lower North Island, temperatures up to 40 degrees in Australia and a tropical depression north of Fiji worth monitoring.

There’s also a storm south of the Cook Islands and well east of the Chatham Islands in no mans land. The busy weather pattern means temperatures are especially changeable in New Zealand and Australia over the coming week.

Despite NZ’s unsettled pattern it is less intense than it was in October and weather warnings from MetService have certainly reduced compared to a month ago.

Still, heavy rain and some strong winds are possible in the days ahead – and another risk of a frost tonight in some parts of NZ.

We have an extensive NZ, Australia and South Pacific big picture forecast through until Thursday next week.