Next weekend is Labour Weekend, for many New Zealanders it may be the first long weekend in almost half a year so it’s a critical one weather-wise.

Labour Weekend often has a variety of weather – the forecast going into the weekend often differs from that going out of it.

This year looks no different with a classic ‘spring-like’ forecast … in other words changeable with variety in conditions across the nation. 

Keep in mind, the models will change a bit but below is our best forecast based on the set up at the moment. At this stage we see no signs of a cold event with warmer than average weather possible.

LABOUR WEEKEND (Next weekend)

• Saturday: High pressure pushing into the North Island, settled and dry and mild. Rain moves into the South Island’s West Coast and later Southland with a few showers while warm windier nor’westers push in across the east.
• Sunday: A low may trigger in the eastern Tasman Sea piling on more heavy rain for West Coasters (possible rain warning). The North Island and rest of the South Island sees northerly quarter winds, mild weather and increasing cloud across the day.
• Labour Day Monday: A period of rain or showers for the North Island with the low nearer to the South Island bringing more rain and showers and variable winds.

Based on this forecast – and the fact a low is developing near New Zealand next weekend (based on the latest models) – we expect most regions to have a fair bit of dry weather for Labour Weekend but this low means things might change as we lock in just where the rain clouds move on Sunday and Monday. Still a long way to go, but with so many questions we wanted to answer. 

Use the Maps tab to see how the weekend looks rain/wind wise.

– Image / 8 days from now, next Sunday, shows plenty of dry weather over the country but a large low looming / Weathermap.co.nz

– WeatherWatch.co.nz