Today is the Autumn equinox which means we’re truly into Autumn now and the nights are shortly about to get longer than the days.

The weather around New Zealand over the next few days sees a big fluctuation in temperatures with Thursday looking especially cool around the South Island while rain and showers spread northwards.

By the weekend a weak area of low pressure lingers around the country bringing showers but still plenty of dry spells.

The cold snap in the South Island today and especially Thursday eases by the weekend with warmer conditions returning for many who had the cold change.