MetService is forecasting a “broad range of weather” including thunderstorms, heavy rain and sunny spells this week as summer officially kicks off.
The forecaster said the North Island was in for “a warm and humid start, while the south will see cooler temperatures throughout”.
Meteorologist Devlin Lynden said the week would begin with “comparatively settled conditions” including cloud and showers for western areas, with sunny spells elsewhere.
“The likes of Gisborne and Hastings are making the most of their sunny start to the summer season, with temperatures expected to top out at 29C and 31C degrees respectively today,” he said.
On Tuesday, he said a low was expected to develop in the Tasman Sea and move toward the country through Tuesday evening.
“This will bring a period of unsettled weather for many regions on Tuesday, Wednesday, and into early Thursday, with heavy rain, strong winds and thunderstorms likely across the North Island.”
Lynden said the low would deepen rapidly and pull a warm moist sub-tropical airmass across the county during Tuesday afternoon and evening.
“It’ll bring widespread rain, strong southwesterly winds and the risk of thunderstorms for many parts of the North Island, including Northland, Auckland and Coromandel,” he said.
While the North Island may be in for the brunt of it, the South Island gets its share of the weather too.
“A trough is expected to bring rain through Monday night and Tuesday, followed by cool southwesterlies. The upper parts of the South Island may also see a period of heavier rain on Wednesday associated with the low to the north.”
Lynden said the low would gradually move off to the southeast on Wednesday night, and conditions would ease behind it, before starting to clear through Thursday morning when the drier weather and sunshine was set to return.
“However, strong to gale southwesterly winds will persist, particularly for Wellington, Wairarapa, Northland and Auckland; they will keep the temperatures capped as we round out the week.”
It followed a week of high temperatures last week, and a torrential rain band that swept across Auckland on Sunday, causing some disruption at Auckland FC’s game at Mount Smart stadium.
