The first nationwide cold change is moving in over the next few days, and while fairly moderate it does look likely to cut back the daytime highs by a few to several degrees from Southland to Northland.

That may sound dramatic, but because temperatures have been above average in a number of places over the past week, the shift in temps will simply reset to where we should be heading in to mid-May.

A few heavy showers are about over the coming days, with driest and warmest weather in the north east of the country.