Winter chill to take over from Indian summer

Inevitably, the Indian summer is drawing to a close. Winter is on the way.

By the end of the month, and going into June, there will be more lows - the first arriving this weekend, says MetService weather ambassador Bob McDavitt.

Apart from a chilly "practice run" on Anzac Day, anticyclones have been dominating for much of April and early May, bringing settled conditions, he said yesterday.

But soon we can expect several southwest wind changes as autumn moves into winter.

The anticyclones are forecast to be replaced by unsettled weather from low-pressure systems developing in the mid-Tasman Sea, he said.

Each of those systems might deliver a day or two of rain with strong winds from the northerly quarter. The winds were likely to ensure a mild start to winter for the North Island and the north of the South Island.

After several dry months, normal rainfall should return at last to the Far North.

Mr McDavitt said the term "Indian summer," used to describe predominantly anticyclonic conditions, reportedly came from the prairies of the United States and dated back to the 18th century.

Apparently the early native Indians chose that warm, calm time of the year as their hunting season, believing the mild, hazy weather encouraged the animals out.

MetService severe weather forecaster Ian Miller said the summer was late starting but lingered into April. "We have had some nice mild spells. However, there have been some cold southerlies to remind us that winter is on its way and frosts have started to bite a bit on those clear nights," he said. "But it doesn't look too bad for the next few days."

The ridge over much of northern and central New Zealand would weaken today and showers were forecast at the weekend. From about Sunday there would be rain over much of the North Island.

Mr Miller said autumn was a transition season, with increasing frequency of colder spells traditionally in April and May "just to remind us that we can't escape winter".