The weather around many parts of the country today will show signs of shifting down a gear as a high over the country continues to weaken ahead of a cold change later this weekend.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says the cold change arrives on Sunday in the South Island and Monday for southern and eastern parts of the North Island but over today and Saturday the summer weather will gradually slide backwards with temperatures lowering slightly for many areas compared to yesterday.

In the upper north there may be no change today – but a drop by a degree or two is expected on Sunday or Monday while in eastern and southern areas it may be a couple to several degrees cooler.

More cloudy areas will be the culprit in the North Island while in the South Island a couple of weak cold fronts will bring additional cloud, showers and slightly cooler winds.

The main burst of cold air will arrive in the South Island on Sunday – meaning Saturday should be mild in most areas ahead of it.

The North Island receives the cooler change on Monday and Tuesday, but it’s coupled with a new high pressure system moving in from the west – which will tilt the winds more south east.

In Summer south easterlies tend to favour sunnier, usually warmer, conditions for regions like Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty…it will be a fine line between slightly cooler or slightly warmer, depending on exact wind direction and cloud cover.  Either way it won’t be a significant blow to the summer conditions for the more populated part of the country.

Traditional summer weather will gradually return to much of the country on Tuesday and Wednesday and, generally speaking, should remain for the rest of the month.

– Homepage image / Claude Therond

– WeatherWatch.co.nz