It’s been a wintry weekend for many with snow to sea level in Southland and to low levels on the Canterbury plains, heavy downpours for those in the north and west and wind for many others but that is all about to change.

A very large high pressure system is set to move in and bring sunny weather to the entire country starting Tuesday and lasting until at least Friday or Saturday.

Weather analyst Philip Duncan says conditions will be frosty, clear and calm for most.  “This high is bigger than Australia, covering a massive area.  Even though it’s moving at quite a speed it’s still going to give New Zealanders 4 or 5 days of mostly sunny, settled, weather”.

Mr Duncan says frosts will develop on Tuesday or Wednesday morning from about Auckland or Waikato southwards.

MetService says no severe weather is likely this week apart from a “low confidence” of heavy rain for Fiordland on Saturday.

But Mr Duncan says while the week is looking sunny, conditions this coming weekend may not be so flash.  “Strong to gale nor’westers are likely to develop on the back of this high with rain or showers moving up the West Coast on Sunday.  By Sunday and into Monday rain or showers should return to many, especially the north and west of New Zealand”.

However long range computer models are predicting a similar looking large high starting in 8 days time, possibly bringing another several dry days of weather to New Zealand.

Homepage photo / David Hawke