Weather: Temperatures to pick up after cold blast

Auckland lit up during last week's thunderstorm. Photo / Supplied by Tracy Gale

This week's weather is expected to be more autumnal than wintry, with highs in the mid-teens likely to be a welcome change after last week's cold blast.

WeatherWatch forecaster Philip Duncan said northwesterly winds would bring uncommonly mild temperatures for this time of year around the whole country.

"This week is going to be more like autumn than like winter, because we've got this westerly wind flow that's really going to pick up this week," he said.

"We don't have so much in the way of wintry southerlies -- they're not really in the forecast so much."

Mr Duncan said this kind of windflow was unusual for this time of year.

"In winter you don't normally get westerlies blowing for a whole week. Usually it swings around the south at one point, but it looks as though this is the weather pattern for the next several days."

Although it would be warmer than usual, the weather was also likely to be windy, Mr Duncan said.

"There could be some severe gale warnings issued this week for central and eastern parts of the country."

In Auckland, people could look forward to a break from last week's downpours, with a high of 17C and a mix of sun and cloud tomorrow.

"Things are looking pretty good for Auckland," Mr Duncan said. "There may be a little bit of shower, maybe, but it's going to be a mainly dry day."

Monday was also shaping up nicely in the capital, with mainly sunny weather. Christchurch should also be mild, Mr Duncan said.

"It might be a bit cold in the morning -- there could be a frost for some sheltered areas, and then a mostly sunny day."

MetService meteorologist Stephen Glassey also predicted a mild start to the week for the country's main centres.

"It's going to be lots of fine weather for most of the main centres tomorrow," he said.

The MetService was forecasting a front approaching the country from the Tasman Sea, which would move onto the country on Tuesday, starting in the South Island.

"It's got a very strong northwest flow associated with it, so what it's going to mean is very heavy rain in the west and very strong winds in the east.

"The east of the South Island is going to get some very strong winds on Tuesday, and Wellington and the Wairarapa as well."

As the front moved up the North Island, more rain could be expected, Mr Glassey said.

Temperatures should be relatively warm, however.

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MONDAY'S WEATHER

Auckland: Sunny areas and some cloud, southwesterly winds easing in the evening. High 17C, low 10C

Tauranga: Sunny with light winds High 16C, low 7C

Hamilton: Mostly sunny with light winds. High 16C, low 2C

Wellington: Mostly sunny with light winds at first then northwesterly winds building from afternoon. High 15C, low 7C

Christchurch: Mostly sunny with some high cloud later on, light winds. High 16C, low 0C

TUESDAY'S WEATHER

Auckland: Mostly sunny with some cloud from afternoon, light northwesterlies developing. High 18C, low 9C

Tauranga: Mostly sunny with light northwesterlies, cloud thickening overnight. High 17C, low 7C

Hamilton: Morning cloud breaks to sunny areas, cloud thickens again by evening. Light northwesterly winds. High 17C, low 5C

Wellington: Mostly cloudy with northwest winds, gusty from afternoon. Odd spit or shower possible. High 16C, low 13C

Christchurch: Thick high cloud with breezy northerly quarter winds. High 16C, low 8C

(Sources: MetService, WeatherWatch)