We have a settled end to the week across New Zealand but an unsettled weekend with wind and rain then a fairly big temperature drop.

The rain will move up from Fiordland this weekend, affecting popular tramping areas, then moves up the West Coast during the day. Rainfall may be heavy enough to prompt rain warnings. Lighter falls of rain will spread east into parts of Southland and Otago and maybe some very inland parts of Canterbury – otherwise most other places in New Zealand are dry this weekend and in fact drier than average over the week ahead.

The weekend’s cold front will be most felt on Sunday and Monday morning around the lower and western South Island where temperatures will tumble by several degrees. Next week looks fairly cool for mid to late January in Southland and Otago but this same wind flow will boost temperatures in the eastern North Island next week, possibly over the 30 degree mark while the Deep South will have highs in the teens at times.

Next week will feel like summer in the North Island but a bit more like Spring/Autumn in western and southern parts of the South Island.

– WeatherWatch.co.nz