For many the past 48 hours have been sensational with mainly clear skies, light winds and temperatures much higher than last week.  However over the next 48 hours we will see weather patterns change – not back to the cold – back but to the rain.

A large depression is going to form near Tasmania and that means warmer northerlies and heavy rain looks set to return around Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week.

The heavy rain will start on Thursday along the North Island’s west coast.  MetService has ‘moderate’ confidence that heavy rain will affect Taranaki through to the Ruapehu region, along with heavy falls along the Tararua Ranges and Nelson ranges. 

On Friday that heavy rain will spread along the West Coast as the centre of the depression slowly moves over the South Island.

By Saturday a sou’wester will spread across the country bringing showery weather to the west but mainly dry weather to the east.

By Sunday or Monday another high should start to move in from the Tasman Sea, at this stage it will most likely affect northern New Zealand.

There are no indications of any significant cold snaps on the way over the next 7 days.