A change to colder southerlies is still being forecast by WeatherWatch.co.nz for the end of the working week and into the weekend.

Head weather analyst Philip Duncan says it’s not a major cold change, but compared to the warm weather lately it may come as a shock to some.  “Many parts of New Zealand have been reaching highs into the early twenties and late teens lately but by Friday and Saturday many places will be down five to ten degrees”.

Mr Duncan says places like Auckland will drop from highs around 21 and 22 this past weekend to highs of 16 and 17 this weekend.  

Christchurch will tumble from highs around 20 to highs around 11 and Dunedin will also see highs dropping from the late teens to around 11.

“By Sunday a high from the Tasman Sea will roll in bringing frosts for some sheltered parts of both islands”.

The cool to cold change will help reset temperatures to more average levels for May.  Lately both daytime highs and overnight lows have been above average according to WeatherWatch.co.nz.

“It will be a cool change and noticeably different to last weekend – but the high coming in afterwards means May continues to see a real variety of weather” says Mr Duncan.

Despite the cooler change the weather this coming weekend doesn’t look overly wet.  “Plenty of sun is in the forecast for many of the main centres and regions”.

The national wind flow on Saturday will be from the south west and is likely to fade out over Sunday as high pressure rolls in from the Tasman Sea.

– Image / File, A cold southerly blows at Omaha beach north of Auckland / Gavin Smith

– WeatherWatch.co.nz