Temperatures in the North Island have plunged to freezing overnight, with snow and crashes closing four state highways. Video / NZ Herald
Auckland and much of New Zealand are forecast to finally see a reprieve from the wild weather as brighter skies are forecast for today and throughout the weekend.
A ridge of high pressure will spread over most of the country, taking the place of the south-to-southwest flow that was lingering over the country.
However, a front will move up the South Island this afternoon and recedes on Saturday, while another front will move onto southern New Zealand on Sunday.
MetService meteorologist Aidan Pyselman said there is going to be a lot of fine weather across Aotearoa apart from a few fronts that are bringing up the country.
It's almost 🌤the weekend🌤
Friday: 🌞 sun, 🍃 light winds, ❄ fresh snow, 🔹 bluebird...? but ☔ late rain in the south
Saturday: 🌦 a few showers in the east, dry for ⚽ and 🏉 fans
However, the cold nights haven’t quite left, as chilly temperatures persist for the North Island throughout the weekend, and a weak cold front will disrupt the South Island late in the day on Friday – with light snow flurries possible to 600 metres.
On Saturday, the east of the North Island collects the dregs of the dying front early in the day and showery northwesterlies develop in the west of the South Island.
MetService meteorologist Clare O’Connor said, “Saturday looks to be the best opportunity this weekend to address any outdoor tasks that the wild weather kept you from earlier in the week.”
Sunday again sees an area of low pressure skimming the bottom of the South Island and a set of cold fronts moving up the country – a wet end to the weekend, and a wet beginning to the second week of August.
Football fans in Auckland and Wellington will see dry conditions on Saturday for the first round of knockouts with Spain playing Switzerland at Eden Park and Japan taking on Norway at Wellington Regional Stadium.
Rugby fans in Dunedin should also expect dry conditions when the All Blacks take on the Wallabies at Forsyth Barr Stadium stadium tomorrow afternoon.
New Zealand has faced a battering over the past few days from cold, snowy, and windy weather.
Snow at Queenstown Airport caused flight delays. Photo / Supplied
Tāmaki Makaurau experienced its coldest night of the year so far when temperatures reached a chilly 2.5°C overnight Thursday.
State Highways 4, 47, and 3 were forced to close due to crashes.
Nearby New Plymouth reached -0.5C last night, while the coldest settlement in the country was St Arnaud in Nelson Lakes, with the tiny alpine village seeing -5C overnight, while Tekapo got down to -3.3C.
Meanwhile, an Air New Zealand flight from Sydney to Wellington was forced to divert to Auckland with the pilot describing the approach as “the worst he has ever seen.”
