Unsettled weather predicted for first week of school holidays

Rain was set to hit certain parts of the country this week. Photo / File

Rain for the top of the North Island and western areas of the South Island will contribute to unsettled weather for the first week of school holidays.

A low pressure system, coming from northwest of the country, should bring heavy rain and strong wind to Northland and potentially Auckland and the Coromandel as it shifts eastward.

MetService forecaster Aidan Pyselman said Gisborne and other eastern areas of Te Ika-a-Māui/North Island should expect rain by Monday or Tuesday.

The chill will be felt across the country in the coming days with colder than normal temperatures for this time of year anticipated.

Tekapo claimed the coldest spot this morning with -7. Manapouri and Timaru were close behind with -5 and -4 respectively.

Looking ahead, inland areas of Te Waipounamu (South Island) would see frosty conditions with Alexandra, Wanaka and Queenstown at risk of severe frosts with temperatures dipping below -5 overnight tonight.

A strong wind watch was in place for Banks Peninsula until 1am tonight, while similar watches for Dunedin and Clutha would expire later this evening.

Come Wednesday, developing northwesterlies should bring heavy rain for Fiordland, which could move north up the west coast during Thursday.

A high pressure system near the top of the country should see settled conditions in northern areas of the North Island.