Weather: Wet and cold weekend ahead for much of New Zealand

It’s looking to be a wet and cold weekend for much of the North Island as a low-pressure system moves across it.

There are several weather warnings in place today, with MetService warning rain could cause slips and flooding from Gisborne to Wellington.

Another wet day in store for the North Island

Rain starts to clear from the southwest this afternoon, but central and eastern areas will still see rain or showers through until tonight

Mostly dry in the South Island, with a few showers around the edges pic.twitter.com/96zUXJxvw9

— MetService (@MetService) April 21, 2023

MetService meteorologist Jessie Owen told the Herald there’s a wet day in store for much of the island – but into the afternoon it should start to clear as the front moves away.

“There is rain pretty much all over the North Island, that will slowly start to clear this afternoon in the western regions but the more central regions won’t clear until later tonight.”

Between 9am and 1pm today, Waikato is under a heavy rain watch south of Te Awamutu, Waitomo, Taumarunui and Taupō. Rainfall could reach warning levels, particularly around the higher areas of the region.

Gisborne is also under a watch from 1pm to midnight and Tongariro Forest Park is under a heavy rain warning with 30-50mm on top of what has already fallen – this could cause streams to rise rapidly and result in hazardous conditions.

Further south, the Manawatū and Wairarapa regions are both under heavy rain watches but the Kāpiti and Horowhenua regions are under a warning – meaning high levels of rain could fall.

Luckily, the weather will ease as Saturday progresses, Owen said.

“Into tomorrow that low-pressure system will have moved away so it will be fairly settled weather.”

Updated Watches and Warnings for today's heavy rain in the North Island and tomorrow's strong wind in the far south

Full details: https://t.co/qHyE5zzql5 pic.twitter.com/kborhzxB79

— MetService (@MetService) April 21, 2023

However, a cold front is sweeping in from the South Island on Sunday, dropping the temperatures and possibly even bringing snow down to 800 metres on the mountains.

“That’s going to bring some stronger winds, colder temps and some showers sweeping up the South Island.”

Through to Monday that cold sweep will hit the North Island, lowering the temperatures again to the usual for this time of year – but overnight, it will drop into single digits for places in the central North Island.

“We’ve been in warmer than average temperatures the last week or so but this change, our daytime temperatures will come down to just below average – it’s the overnight temperatures which will really come down. Monday and Tuesday, those lows come down to single digits.”

For those waking up for Anzac dawn services on Tuesday, Owens said it could be a brisk morning with possible frost settling in for places like Rotorua, Taupō and Taumaranui.

“If there’s not a frost, then it will be very close to one,” said Owen.