KEY POINTS:
Going on holiday next week? Better take an umbrella - the weather may be a bit damp.
MetService meteorologist Peter Kreft says heavy rain is predicted for the West Coast of the South Island on Monday, and many parts of the North Island will be wet on Tuesday.
But the east of the South Island will bask in sun and temperatures expected to reach the low to mid-30s on Monday.
For Aucklanders, the advice of MetService forecasters is to make the most of the weekend.
Today and tomorrow are expected to be fine with some cloud.
Northland, the Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty are forecast to have similar warm weekend weather before the rainclouds arrive on Tuesday.
The expected wet weather follows a warm December, during which mean temperatures were at least 0.5C above average in places.
Temperatures were at least 1C above average in parts of Auckland, Waikato, Taranaki, Manawatu, Buller, Westland, Fiordland, Nelson, and Central Otago, says Niwa's National Climate Summary for last month.
Despite the warmer-than-average temperatures, cloudy skies prevailed over the northern half of the North Island.
Of the main centres, Auckland was the warmest, Wellington the wettest, Christchurch the driest and sunniest, and Dunedin the coolest.
- NZPA, STAFF REPORTER
