A series of cold fronts developing just west and south of New Zealand today will cross the country overnight tonight and during Friday triggering a few thunderstorms and bringing cooler weather to the nation for Friday.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says the fronts will replace the humid air over northern New Zealand with drier, cooler, air from the south west for Friday and the coming weekend. 

Auckland has a predicted high of 23 degrees today and a high tomorrow of 18.  But it’s the South Island that will mostly feel the cold with single digit highs expected in some parts of Southland and Otago on Friday as each passing front brings colder air behind it.

The southerly change will literally bring winter weather conditions back to Southland and Otago for Friday, but should ease on Saturday with warmer air returning as early as Sunday.

As the first front crosses over the North Island tonight and early on Friday morning the mixture of departing warm air and incoming colder air is likely to produce isolated thunderstorms up the entire western coastline while other fronts contribute to thundery squalls for the South Island’s West Coast. 

The cold change is being produced by a large low in the Southern Ocean that is pulling up frigid air from right near the Antarctic ice shelf.  The coldest of this air is only expected to affect Otago and Southland but most western and northern areas will notice cooler weather for Friday and Saturday.

– Homepage image / File, Chris Gin

– WeatherWatch.co.nz