As the next set of holidaymakers return from their break, and the next lot prepare to go away, a low in the southern Tasman Sea is going to bring rain, heat and a cold snap to New Zealand.

The unsettled weather follows a wild two weeks of weather that has seen some of the hottest temperatures in memory in the South Island and one of the biggest electrical storms for Auckland in many years.

Yesterday the Weather Watch Centre created a link to see the thunderstorm photos but as the day continued we were flooded with many more.   They are all laid out below this story. 

The Government’s forecaster, MetService, has issued a number of rain warnings for the West Coast today, meanwhile WeatherWatch.co.nz is predicting another heat wave, smaller than last weeks one, for eastern areas of both islands.

Temperatures are expected to rise into the late 20s and early 30s from Dunedin to Whangarei over the next day or two.

Meanwhile a cold snap is expected to arrive in Southland on Sunday.  The daytime high predicted by the Weather Watch Centre is just 13 degrees for Invercargil.

During the weekend the front that’s bringing the heavy rain to the West Coast will move into the North Island – weakening considerably as it does.  By early next week a large high will move back in bringing settled weather to much of the country.

Big Day Out

Click here for our detailed Big Day Out weather forecast. 

NEW!  To see the Weather Watch Centre’s very own independent weather forecasts for Auckland click this link here.