NZ

A low pressure system crossing the country today will continue to bring some much needed rain to many parts of New Zealand.

In some areas, the rain could be heavy.  That has prompted government forecaster MetService to issue the following warnings:

High pressure will strengthen as it slowly crosses the country tomorrow.  As it does, a northerly flow will develop about the western North Island and west/northwest flow will set up for the western Mainland.

This could bring some precipitation to both islands tomorrow.

There is very little rain to talk about today.  A few showers have been trying to make it across the top of the North Island.  A few showers have also affected the Gisborne area this morning.  Otherwise, that is it for the precipitation.

High pressure sliding across the country tomorrow will provide a variety of weather to New Zealand.  On the top of the high, and to the top of the country, an easterly flow is expected to set up.  This could bring some showers to the Coromandel Peninsula, Auckland and Northland during the late morning and early afternoon.

A few showers dotted the lower North Island overnight.  But the majority of the rain today has been in a band moving up the eastern South Island.

It will be another chilly start about the country tomorrow.  But we will also be watching a little area of showers huge the eastern South Island during the morning.  That will like end up in the lower and eastern North Island during the afternoon and evening.

There is not much rain falling on New Zealand today.  The upper tips of both islands have seen some light rain early this morning.  That has since come to an end.

For the rest of today, there could be a few showers about Nelson.

Monday began with some pretty chilly temperatures around the country.  Early morning lows fell into the single digits in many places.  Some places, like Taupo, even flirted with the freezing mark.

We often look to Tasmania and Victoria to see what weather is coming our way - usually a couple of days later their weather shows up here.  Heatwave in Melbourne? Wait a few days and sometimes it makes it to Canterbury.  Snowy blast hitting Tasmania?  Quite often the South Island will get a dusting a few days later.

Updated 4:58pm -- A rare quake has been widely felt in Auckland this afternoon.  The quake initially measured 4.0 but has been downgraded to 3.9, but was just 6kms deep - GeoNet says the intensity was still "moderate". 

It was felt as a sharp jolt to many.