Top spring weather

Lily Rouse, 10, takes her dog Carter for a walk through the daffodils at the Hamilton Gardens. Photo / Christine Cornege.

A field of daffodils greeted Lily Rouse, aged 10, and her golden retriever Carter, when they visited Hamilton Gardens for the first day of spring.

The pair made the most of the beautiful flowers and the sunshine at the public gardens, which sprawl beside the Waikato River.

Above-average temperatures are forecast to be a feature of the season - with a lot of rain and short, cold snaps.

Climate scientists say Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty may get rainfall above normal.

On the east side of the North Island in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa they are forecasting normal to above-normal rainfall.