New Zealand will have warmer than usual weather during the Rugby World Cup, but first must get through a stormy August.
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research forecasters are predicting near-average or above-average temperatures in all regions during spring.
Niwa's seasonal climate outlook shows that the tropical Pacific will remain in neutral range - neither La Nino or El Nino - which would lead to a mostly settled, mild spring with a few cold snaps.
Rainfall would also be about average. Auckland, the home base for the World Cup, usually has 17 days of rain in September and 16 rainy days in October.
But that rainfall can be as little as 0.1mm and pass quickly.