Summer's back - at least for a while

Warmer weather is on its way for much of the country. Photo / Herald on Sunday

The news may be too little, too late for many New Zealanders already back at work from their summer break - but forecasters say summer is returning, at least for a while.

Strong winds and heavy rain pounded much of the country yesterday, bringing with it thunderstorms to the lower North Island.

And while for today the weather remains pretty dreary, warmer weather is on its way as a large high positions itself over the country next week.

But in the meantime most of New Zealand was continuing to face heavy showers, gales or cooler conditions today, WeatherWatch forecaster Philip Duncan said.

Until midnight tonight there was a high risk of thunderstorms in Westland, Buller and northwest Nelson, MetService warned.

From north Otago to Ashburton there was also a moderate risk of isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening, and from Dunedin to Christchurch there was the risk of an isolated thunderstorm developing.

In Fiordland there was a moderate risk of thunderstorms battering the area overnight.

While severe westerly gales were expected to pound the coast and coastal hills of Southland and Clutha tomorrow morning and people in the area were advised to exercise caution, MetService said.

But the bad weather would ease and summer would spread to much of the country as the weekend wore on.

This news came too late for the Surf Rescue IRB Series though, which had to cancel its central regional championships at Oakura Beach in Taranaki because of dangerous conditions.

While on the West Coast, winds gusting up to 100km/h felled trees and damaged rooves in Buller and power was cut to about 1000 consumers, mainly north of Westport on Thursday night.

The weather did provide some respite for Southland farmers who have been facing drought conditions this summer.

More than 35mm of rain was recorded on one Southland farm, and David Rose of Federated Farmers was optimistic immediate drought-like pressure in the area might ease.

Since the beginning of summer all the highs have been focused over the central or lower South Island which created wet weather for the North Island and near-drought conditions for the south, Mr Duncan said.

"This next high - and quite likely the one after it - look as though they will be more North Island focused, settling down the weather there while at the same time making the deep south more vulnerable to change."

There was still a 20 to 40 per cent risk of a shower at some stage next week, but that was considerably lower than in recent weeks which have frequently had 60 to 80 per cent, Mr Duncan said.

But just as New Zealanders thought they might finally get a settled summer, Mr Duncan warns showers could return at the end of the week or next weekend.