After a calm weekend across New Zealand, rain has arrived for many parts of the country since Sunday evening and MetService meteorologists expect the unsettled weather to continue this week with several wet and windy systems passing over the country.

It’s been a wet start to the work week for many Kiwis thanks to a low pressure system out in the Tasman Sea which has caused warm, moist air from the north to move over the country. This has also resulted in heavy falls of rain from Northland to Coromandel and spreading to Bay of Plenty this afternoon (Monday). Heavy Rain Warnings remain in effect for some of these areas and there is also a risk of thunderstorms over a broad area of the North Island and these may lead to further localised downpours. Wet weather also persists over the northern and western parts of South Island today.

Tuesday will start off a little more settled although showers are expected for the western parts of both islands. By evening another low in the Tasman will bring the next bout of warm and wet weather to the north and west, and by Wednesday morning all regions are likely to have received at least some rain.

MetService meteorologist Luis Fernandes says: “It won’t only be the wet weather that will have people talking. The tropically sourced air being drawn down from the north will also have a noticeable effect on New Zealand’s temperatures, as minimum temperatures in particular, will be much higher than normal for this time of the year.”

Not much changes into Wednesday and Thursday with many areas, mainly in the west, remaining wet. A southwest flow eventually takes over later Thursday, heralding the start of the cooler air returning.

“This means temperatures return to what we would normally expect for late May and early June, but the rain doesn’t clear just yet, as the colder southwest circulation will still bring showers through to Friday and Saturday”, says Fernandes.

Over the weekend, a ridge of high pressure gradually shifts toward Aotearoa, resulting in a gradual clearance and a return to more settled conditions.

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