A decent southerly change is coming – but before below normal temperatures arrive, NZ has warmer than usual weather over much of the nation.

A sub-tropical northerly flow and nor’west winds are combining to push temperatures up – with overnight cloud cover also keeping overnight temps above normal.

However, by Tuesday PM the cold front moves into Southland and across Wednesday morning spreads up the South Island and into the lower North Island. By Thursday morning it will be across all of NZ with a brief area of high pressure behind it to lock in the cold at night.

In the South Island temperatures will tumble the most. Here are some Daytime High examples right across NZ showing the incoming change:

• Christchurch: 22C Tuesday, 11C Wednesday
• Dunedin: 16C Tuesday, 9C Wednesday
• Gore: 19C Monday, 9C Wednesday
• Alexandra: 19C Monday, 8C Wednesday
• Timaru: 21C Tuesday, 10C Wednesday
• Wellington: 18C Tuesday, 12C Wednesday
• Napier: 23C Monday, 13C Thursday
• Auckland: 21C Tuesday, 16C Thursday

Frosty weather is also expected. The ‘NZ Frost Forecaster’ at www.RuralWeather.co.nz shows overnight lows dropping below zero in the nights ahead for the South Island due to high pressure coming in after the southerly. Check to see if your property is in the frost risk zone or not!