The spell of slightly warmer weather has already started with temperatures reaching 17 degrees this hour in Napier and Hastings. 

Across northern and north eastern New Zealand temperatures remain around 15 and 16 degrees.

While it’s not as warm in the South Island there are already indications that a change in the weather pattern has arrived with a number of centres on 12 degrees with northerlies starting to develop.

Heavy rain is likely to move into western parts of the South Island this afternoon and a number of severe weather warnings have been issued.  Thunderstorms and even weak tornadoes are possible in coastal areas of the West Coast.  Click here to see all current MetService weather warnings.

Next week it’s looking increasingly likely that a bitterly cold southerly will spread across the entire country bringing daily highs down to single digits as far north as Wellington and below 13 degrees further north.