A low-pressure system in the North Tasman Sea is expected to bring rain and strong winds to Northland on Sunday and Monday, with temperatures dropping below the usual average for this time of the year.
A fast-moving low is expected to bring heavy rains and strong winds, MetService meteorologist Aidan Pyselman said.
At the moment we have a low pressure [system] approaching northern New Zealand, which is expected to bring some heavy rains and strong winds.
We have a severe weather watch for that area. There will be heavy rains and winds on Sunday, and more to follow on Monday.
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According to MetService, the low pressure is expected to move southeast over the next week.
The low [pressure system] will move towards the south-east around Monday and Tuesday, and it will affect Gisborne and Hawkes Bay with rains and strong winds, said Pyselman.
Temperatures will drop overnight, and there will be frost over the course of the week.
Temperature-wise across the country … even the day temperature in general is looking slightly below the average for this time of the year, Pyselman said.
He added that there would be decent frosts for inland areas, with temperatures dropping as low as minus 5 to minus 6 in Queenstown, Alexandra and Wanaka.
Temperatures are set to drop to minus 6 in Queenstown.
Also, heavy rain is forecast for the likes of Fiordland from Wednesday, as the low pressure system slowly makes a move to the south.
The low is moving to the coast of south by Wednesday and Thursday and so there could be rains in the South Island from Wednesday, Pyselman said.
The extended Metservice forecast has sunshine until Wednesday in Taranaki, but the clouds hit on Thursday.
In Taranaki, the rain and wet weather is expected to hang around until the following Monday, according to a forecast on Saturday morning.
Taranaki maunga, which was closed on Saturday due to snow being wet and slushy, could be opened on Sunday if weather conditions improve.
The snow is wet; the weather is awful, the Stratford Mountain Club said on its Facebook page about 7.30am on Saturday.
The seasonal July-September prediction for the central North Island, from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), shows rainfall totals are 45 per cent likely to be near normal.
A low-pressure system is expected to bring rain and strong winds, with temperatures dropping below the usual average for this time of the year.
