Aotearoa New Zealand’s weather will be mostly settled for the next few days, but a cold front on Saturday will make Sunday feel very different to what many have experienced recently.

MetService meteorologist Alain Baillie says, "The remainder of today and Friday will be mainly fine, although the east of the North Island will see some showers tomorrow as a weakening front moves through the region. Saturday will be a day to watch our rain radar as showers are set to develop during the afternoon and possibly even some thunderstorms.”

“A strong cold front moves up the South Island on Saturday, bringing a period of rain to most places and leaving a cold southerly flow in its wake. The front reaches Wellington on Saturday night, so by Sunday morning the east of both islands will have fresh-to-strong southerly winds. Winds will ease Sunday afternoon as the front moves further east,” says Alain.

Strong northerly winds in Wellington Saturday evening could mean a windy time for those out taking part in the Lunar New Year celebrations.

Across the lower North Island and the south and east of the South Island, maximum temperatures on Sunday are forecast to be approximately six degrees below average for this time of year. “Many places have been regularly reaching 30C over the past three weeks, so temperatures in the high teens with a cool southerly wind will feel very different,” Baillie continues.

A large area of high-pressure approaches from the Tasman Sea on Monday, bringing fine weather for most to start the week.

In the tropics, there is plenty happening at present, with two Tropical Cyclones, Osai and Nat, and a series of other tropical lows across the western Pacific. The large area of high pressure over New Zealand should keep these systems away to the north of the country. However, the team here at MetService will be monitoring the conditions in the Tropics closely. For all the latest information head to Tropical Cyclone Activity - MetService New Zealand

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