KEY POINTS:
North Islanders return to work today after basking in unexpectedly warm, sunny conditions for most of Easter.
This is despite the MetService predicting that for the most part it would be a cold and wet weekend.
Holidaymakers bracing for the worst were greeted by late summer-like conditions for much of the North Island. Auckland got to 23.1C yesterday and Hamilton 24.1C.
However, MetService today warned that the South Island would face wet and windy conditions this afternoon and on Wednesday.
Heavy rain should spread up Fiordland and Westland this evening and continue on Wednesday, it said. In Southland, the fronts are forecast to bring a period of very strong west to northwest winds with severe gale gusts of 120 km/h likely during the early hours of Wednesday morning about exposed hilltops.
People heading off for the break last week left to this forecast from the MetService's Bob McDavitt: "A trough is likely to bring heavy downpours to central and northern parts of the North Island on Thursday. On Good Friday a cold front with some rain and a southerly wind change is expected to reach Invercargill in the morning and then make its way north. The front is likely to become slow-moving on Saturday, covering northern and central areas with outbreaks of rain."
He added that the outlook for Easter Sunday and Monday was for "clearing weather as southerly winds relax".
Mr McDavitt last night defended the outlook, which he said was national. Auckland and outlying areas were always expected to be fine on Saturday and Sunday.
He didn't think people were misled. "I think I underlined it, we're not forecasting any severe weather for Easter. And we said it was going to clear up and I think it happened pretty well exactly."
He said the only thing that wasn't right was that the rainfall on Saturday was only about a millimetre - much less than predicted.
Today's Outlook
Cloudy periods and a few showers, more frequent in the afternoon, with some heavy downpours north of the Waitemata Harbour. 21C high.
