A slow moving low pressure system will make for a rainy week.

The Tasman low will affect the northern tip of the country first, with rain chances moving into Northland..

By Tuesday afternoon, rain chances will have spread across much of the North Island with the heaviest rain falling across the upper regions, including Auckland.  There is some concern for heavy rainfall about Northland late Monday into Tuesday…and the Coromandel Peninsula and Bay of Plenty during the day on Tuesday.  Government forecaster MetService and WeatherWatch.co.nz both feel that these areas have a moderate risk for seeing heavy rain.

The chances for rain will then spread onto the upper regions of the South Island during the afternoon on Tuesday.  Southland and Otago could stay dry on Tuesday.

The low will continue to churn over the Tasman on Wednesday.  But it won’t be in a real hurry to go anywhere.  Despite this, the rain should ease a bit early on Wednesday.

Another round of rain comes in on Thursday.  The rain should be confined to the North Island on Thursday with just a slight chance for showers about the far upper regions of the South Island.  Again it looks like the precipitation chances for Southland and Otago will be pretty small.

Friday will be another rainy day for the NI as the low starts to push across the North Island.  A boundary associated with the low will extend south and bring some chances for rain to the South Island as well.

On Saturday, the low will finally move off to our east taking most of the chances for precipitation with it.

Homepage image/ Rachel Kuljish

By WeatherWatch Analyst Howard Joseph