Your weather: Calm descends across the nation ahead of stormy weekend

Most of the country is in for a fine but cold few days, before a low from the Tasman Sea spoils everybody's weekend.

MetService meteorologist Nick Zachar said today's weather was fairly "benign", as a weakening cold front moved up the country.

The front was over Wellington this morning and would make it to New Plymouth by midday, bringing some showers and southerly winds with it.

Elsewhere a ridge of high pressure was beginning to spread, bringing a fine winter's day to most of the country.

However, while the cool front was lacking in severe weather, it had brought a lot of cold air with it.

"Tonight and tomorrow morning will be very cold across the country. From pretty much Hamilton south we can expect frosts and freezing temperatures."

A mild day in store tomorrow, despite the southerlies!
^Tui pic.twitter.com/95pWMbdxt4

— MetService (@MetService) July 11, 2018

On Friday a ridge of high pressure would cover most of New Zealand, bringing mostly settled weather.

On Saturday however, a front would arrive from the Tasman Sea, affecting the lower west coast of the South Island, with potential for heavy rain in Fiordland and southern Westland.

In the North Island from late Saturday a strong, moist northeast flow would spread on to the upper areas, bringing rain and northeast gales to many places.

On Sunday east and northeast winds could reach gale about Northland to East Cape and Waikato.

The Pacific equatorial subsurface (i.e. down to about 150m depth) is warmer than average. This is an indicator that we look for during the development of an #ElNiño event.

It looks like a 🦈 if you watch for long enough 🤓 pic.twitter.com/pYzmEhkc3m

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) July 11, 2018

There could also be heavy rain about Northland, Coromandel Peninsula, and parts of Auckland.

On Monday this system would spread further over the North Island and central New Zealand, bringing potentially heavy rainfall over Gisborne, easternmost Bay of Plenty, and from Marlborough Sounds to northern Buller.

Today's weather

Whangārei

Mainly fine, could get a morning shower. Southwest dying out this morning. 16C high, 7C overnight.

Auckland

​ Fine apart from isolated morning showers. Southwest dying out afternoon. 16C high, 5C overnight.

Hamilton

Cloudy at times, chance shower. Southwesterlies dying out this afternoon. 15C high, 2C overnight.

​

Tauranga

Cloudy at times. Chance shower from afternoon. Southwesterlies dying out afternoon. 16C high, 6C overnight.

New Plymouth Showers clearing this afternoon. Westerlies dying out around midday. 14C high, 4C overnight.

Napier Fine apart from few showers late morning. Southwest change. 13C high, 2C overnight.

Wellington A few showers around dawn with a fresh southerly change, then fine and winds dying out. 11C high, 4C overnight.

Nelson Fine, but chance morning shower. Light winds. 11C high, 4C overnight.

Christchurch Morning cloud and chance shower then fine. Southwesterlies dying out. 10C high, -2C overnight.

Dunedin Fine. Southwesterlies dying out this afternoon. 10C high, 2C overnight.