Summer sunshine takes a holiday

The stunning summer weather will take a break this week with cloudy skies, cool temperatures and the occasional shower expected for most of the country.

MetService forecaster John Crouch said yesterday would be the last perfect day for a while, as the weather was set to become unsettled in the coming week.

A front expected to move over the top of the North Island late last night and this morning will bring a small amount of rain to areas from Northland to Waikato.

The sun will still be out, but a southwesterly is predicted to bring changeable, cooler and windier weather and showers until the end of the week.

Whangarei, Auckland and Hamilton will have a cool maximum temperature of 20C to 21C with the Coromandel a little warmer at 23C.

Mr Crouch says the weather will be fairly unsettled over much of the country. The lower North Island will be fine this morning, but showers will appear in the afternoon.

The West Coast of the South Island, which has experienced heavy rain and thunderstorms in the past few days, will have a couple of days of sunshine before the wet weather returns, while Canterbury and Otago will be cool with showers clearing on Wednesday or Thursday.