With tens of thousands of damaged homes in Christchurch and across Canterbury many will be hoping the incoming rain and cold weather will be short lived.

Temperatures today soared in Canterbury with Kaikoura reaching 25 degrees, Lyttelton 22 and Christchurch city 21 however a cold change has now arrived.

As of 4:30 Christchurch has plummeted to 10 degrees with a brisk southerly.

The cold weather will make conditions worse for those without power or means of heating.

There is some good news.  WeatherWatch.co.nz has low confidence of rain falling tonight, predicting only a few light showers.  However the weather news authority says it is still fairly confident of rain setting in during Tuesday and into Wednesday morning but believes the rain will continue to be light and patchy.

Precipitation could cause more problems with leaking buildings or electrical circuits that may be exposed to the elements.

Since Saturday morning Christchurch has been dry and windy.

WeatherWatch.co.nz will keep you up to date with the latest conditions in Canterbury over the next several days and beyond.