New Zealand weather: humid for most, cold for the south

The unstable spring weather continues across the country today, thanks to a low Tasman Sea on the North Island and a cold front moving towards the South Island.

The slow low came overnight, bringing rain and showers to much of the North Island and the upper South Island, with heavy rains in parts of both islands today, MetService forecaster Cameron Coutts said.

Those are the Kaikōura Ranges and northern Canterbury, the Nelson Ranges west of Motueka, Mount Taranaki, the central mountainous region of the North Island and the eastern Bay of Plenty Ranges, and western Gisborne.

There was also a risk of thunderstorms in the upper half of the North Island, especially in Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and Taihape, this afternoon and evening, Coutts said.

Temperatures would be mild in the north: Auckland was expecting 21 ° C, Hamilton 20 ° C, and Tauranga 23 ° C, while Wellington would hit 16 ° C.

At the same time, a cold front was approaching the South Island, bringing rain, squalls and, in places above 600 meters, snow.

There are roadside snow warnings for several South Island Alpine passes, and rain is expected to turn to snow early this morning at Crown Range, Lindis, Arthur’s and Porters passes, and later this morning at Lewis Pass.

The front relaxes during the day before moving east to the island, Coutts said.

It will be a cold late spring day: 14 ° C is forecast in Christchurch and 13 ° C in Dunedin.

Conditions would be similar tomorrow and Tuesday, with heavy rains possible in the eastern North Island and southern gales in the southern part of the island due to a strong southeast flow through central New Zealand.

The South Island would be fine in the west and south, with clouds and some possible rain in the east and north, he said.

The low would recede in the middle of the week, bringing relief to those weary of the sometimes sticky weather in the north.

“[There’ll be] a flow to the southwest, so it will be cooler and drier across the country. “