The sun-drenched days of the last week look set to end towards Easter, forecasters say. Photo / Greg Bowker
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Get ready for typical autumn weather as rain drenches much of the country this week.
A series of fronts moving up the west of New Zealand today is expected to bring up to 120mm over 18 hours to Fiordland and up to 300mm over the West Coast in
a 36-hour slot.
The MetService issued a severe rain warning for the areas. The front will have moved up to the North Island by tomorrow but is not expected to bring as much rain.
MetService forecaster Heath Gullery says a cool southerly is also expected to move over the South Island tomorrow and the North Island on Wednesday, bringing cooler temperatures.
The hottest spots will be in the Gisborne and Hawkes Bay areas with northwesterly winds helping the temperature reach highs of 24C.
The coolest regions will be in Southland, Otago and Canterbury with the areas at times dropping to 5C on Wednesday.
Auckland can expect highs of 22C and overnight minimums of 15C over the next couple of days.
"I think it'll be your typical autumn temperatures, pretty mild."
Mr Gullery said Easter weekend was too far off to predict weather patterns.
Meanwhile, the Weather Watch Centre says tropical Cyclone Lin, - which passed over Tonga yesterday morning bringing destructive winds, a big storm surge and flooding rains - posed no threat to New Zealand.
