Spring's on hold: Wrap up for cold

Photo / Dean Purcell

Most of New Zealand should warm up after yesterday's bitterly cold snap but a southerly is still predicted to bring heavy rain to the Hawkes Bay and Gisborne today.

MetService duty forecaster Heath Gullery said most of the country would see a "warming trend" over the coming days.

"The cold southerly is still bringing showers to the Hawkes Bay and Gisborne," Mr Gullery said.

Snow flows could be expected down to 700-800m around Hawkes Bay and Gisborne, he said.

Yesterday, well into spring, Aucklanders awoke to blustery southerly winds, heavy rain and temperatures well down on Sunday's high of 19C.

Southerlies gusting to 93km/h hit the Manukau Heads with just 10C recorded in the city centre, MetService said.

Christchurch and Dunedin had lows of 3C, Wellington dropped down to 4°C, and Hamiltonians experienced 6C, although cold winds made it feel even colder.

The cold snap had been driven by a low front plaguing the South Island moving up the country.

Weather worsened because of a new front forming in the northern and eastern North Island.

The large low was expected to bring heavy midweek rain and wind into eastern parts of East Cape and Hawkes Bay.

Regions north of Taupo, including Auckland and Tauranga, should prepare for strong southeasterlies, weather expert Phillip Duncan said.

Weatherwatch.co.nz had reports yesterday of snow falling on paddocks on the Mamaku Ranges near Rotorua and on Mt Pirongia near Te Awamutu, south of Hamilton.

Mr Gullery said a severe weather warning was in place for Gisborne and a severe weather watch for the eastern hills of Northland and Hawkes Bay, with heavy rain expected in these areas from this evening through to tomorrow.

While Mr Gullery said yesterday's chilly temperatures were "unseasonable", they were not rare.

"We usually get a few cold snaps in Spring," he said.

MetService's long-range forecast predicts temperatures in Auckland will pick up to around 17C for the rest of the working week.

However, the blustery southeasterlies would remain until Friday.

There's better news with Saturday's weather expected to be fine and sunny - but the rain is likely to return for a bleak Sunday.