Spring to start on soggy note, Metservice says

Spring is set to start on a wet note with back-to-back lows sweeping across the country this week. Photo / File

With spring just days away the new season is set to start on a soggy note with days of rain and a cold, chilly wind sweeping across the country.

Balmy temperatures are about to give way to a turbulent patch that will see bleak skies return for days on end.

MetService forecaster Angus Hines says tomorrow is set to be the best day of the week before a succession of low-pressure systems move on to different parts of the country.

With Aug nearly complete, #Auckland (Mangere) is tracking for its 3rd warmest Aug on record 🌡️🌡️certainly was a mild start Mon- 15° @ 8am. pic.twitter.com/TC1AdMpttw

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) August 27, 2017

Once today's blustery and wet weather cleared most of the country would enjoy a pretty decent Tuesday with just a smattering of showers in the west.

"Tuesday is looking like that nicest day all around," said Hines.

But as winter drew to a close the country would be hit by back-to-back low-pressure systems starting in the North Island on Wednesday.

While it would not amount much more than cloud and scattered rain and showers it would be quickly followed by a second low-pressure system that would sweep down the east coast of the country.

Hines said this promised to have more of a bite with cold south to southeast winds blowing on the South Island and a spell of prolonged wet weather that would last from Thursday through to Saturday.

And while it wouldn't be a polar blast there would be noticeable drop in temperatures, he said.

Christchurch would go from a warm17C today to just 9C by Saturday.

Hines said as this spell of soggy weather gradually cleared in the south a third system would hit the top of the country bringing wet weather to the North Island next Friday and into the weekend.

He described the coming week as typical spring-like conditions.