Wet weather is back in the forecast for some dry parts of New Zealand, mainly north-eastern parts of the North Island. The rain is likely going to be patchy with some isolated heavier areas around Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne. Due to the slightly messy set-up you may find your upcoming forecast rainfall totals are moving around a little if you’re in the North Island. As you can see from Tuesday’s map there are at least two low pressure zones which makes rainfall broken up and uneven – but possibly heavy for some.

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Yes, the Auckland Rain Radar isn’t working today – read the statement from MetService here

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Most parts of NZ looks to be drier than usual for this time of year for the upcoming week, but as we said in our videos last week some pockets of heavy rain may be possible across the top portion of the North Island. Not everyone will get heavy rain but in some places around the North Island it may approach warning criteria.

Rainfall totals in the North Island vary between 10mm and over 150mm depending on your location and the mountains and ranges near you. This isn’t one big band of rain moving across NZ, it’s literally forming and developing as it moves in – which makes it harder to be more precise about. Our video out early Monday afternoon explains more about this.

The South Island looks drier than the North Island but some wet weather will brush the north eastern coastal zone due to the developing easterly flow.

See current MetService warnings & watches here.

Frosts are possible this week, mostly for the South Island – see the free Frost Risk graphs in the Trends section of our new app, or sign up for paid customisable frost alerts for multiple locations.

After months of 'Groundhog Day' are we finally seeing a break in the mountainous high pressure stuck south of Australia?

May was the month of high pressure, June might finally see Australasia shaking El Niño's lingering weather pattern & replacing it with lows. Time will tell! pic.twitter.com/R700auYmDz

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) May 19, 2024

⚠️Low pressure zones around NZ this week may create heavy rain for the eastern NI.

In this wider view these areas of heavy rain aren't widespread, but the easterly flow pushing into the eastern NI ranges may increase totals in #HawkesBay & #Gisborne.

This may still change: pic.twitter.com/ezqyacX6nW

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) May 19, 2024

🛰️The big picture from 6am Monday – 6am Wednesday NZST.

🌀A fairly messy area of low pressure moves over the North Island of New Zealand and a powerful high pressure zone remains south of Australia. pic.twitter.com/uUJY29k0GH

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) May 19, 2024

• WeatherWatch.co.nz