Updated 8:30am Friday — Showers should clear over the next 24 hours for northern New Zealand ahead of our last nationwide long weekend for the next five months almost – and the forecast for the rest of Queens Birthday Weekend looks promising.

Despite a cold southerly change heading north across New Zealand over Thursday and Friday a large high in the Tasman Sea should drift in on Saturday.

But in true New Zealand fashion the forecast is never that straight forward.

The cold southerly change should push most shower activity out to sea north of the country on Saturday – however a small low pressure system is likely to then develop just north east of Northland and Coromandel Peninsula, meaning rain/showers and cloud may hover just offshore for northern New Zealand over the entire long weekend.  

Showers from this weak low, or trough, or may affect northern and eastern parts of Northland, Great Barrier Island, East Cape and maybe Gisborne too.

A few showers may also affect Southland.

Otherwise, expect cold nights and mild-ish days with a chance of frosts in sheltered inland areas, esepcially south of Central Plateau.

SUNNIEST:
Much of the South Island, lower North Island, western North Island

CLOUDIEST:
Northern New Zealand, eastern North Island, Southland

COLDEST:
South Island interior, Central Plateau

WARMEST
Northland, Auckland

WINDIEST
Eastern coastal areas of Northland, Coromandel Peninsula, Hauraki Gulf, eastern Waikato

FROSTIEST
Central Otago, South Island & North Island interior 

HIGHEST RISK OF SHOWERS
Southland, Northland, Eastland 

– WeatherWatch.co.nz