Easter weather looking good

Easter egg enthusiasts will be treated to perfect egg-hunting conditions on Sunday with clear skies and dry weather for most of country.

Photo: 123 RF

Ed Sheeran fans in Dunedin won't need to worry about packing their rain ponchos - no rain is forecast for the three nights the popstar is performing down south.

But cricket fans in Christchurch could see brief periods of rain on Saturday, the second day of the Black Cap's test against England.

Here's the forecast rainfall over the next 6 days, including your #Easter weekend. A front moves away on Friday, but another moves over #NZ on Saturday, and a third one on Monday. Sunday is looking to be the sunniest day of the weekend for #NZ! More: https://t.co/hnwmGxU1gR ^CF pic.twitter.com/QOmyvnNgyt

— MetService (@MetService) March 28, 2018

MetService Meteorologist Gerrit Keyser said Sunday was set to have the best weather.

"That's the beauty, that's the best day of the weekend.

"It'll be dry for much of the country, again some cloud around, maybe a shower here and there. But everybody will have sunshine during the day," he said.

MetService is predicting typical autumnal weather this Easter weekend with three frontal systems making their way across the country, bringing rain to Northland and western parts of the North and South Islands on Saturday and Monday.

Temperatures should sit around 20°C for most of the country.

Whangārei, Havelock North and Hastings are expected to be the hottest spots, all are expected to hit a high of 24°.

Central Otago will see the lowest temperatures with a low of 8° to 9° expected over the weekend.

Good Friday: A few possible showers in northern parts of the North Island but dry for the rest of the country.

Saturday: Another cold front arrives bringing rain to western parts of the South Island and possible rain between Invercargill and Dunedin.

Easter Sunday: It's expected to be the best day of the weekend. Sunshine and dry weather for most of the country. By the evening, a front will reach the country bringing rain to the southern and western parts of the South Island overnight.

Monday: Rain for the western parts of the South Island.

Beach day of the weekend in the upper/eastern North Island: Saturday

️ Warmer than average air temps & warmer than average seas (up to 22°C) with westerlies!

️ Water temps near the South Island are also mild for the time of year. pic.twitter.com/wjjkbBkarC

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) March 28, 2018

Forecasts for the main centres

Friday

• Auckland: A few early showers and cloud, light winds.
• Tauranga: Cloud and possible morning showers, clearing in the afternoon. Light winds.
• Hamilton: Fine, apart from a few morning showers. Light winds.
• Wellington: Morning cloud but fine later in the day, northerlies will be developing in the morning.
• Christchurch: Fine apart from morning cloud, northeasterlies developing around midday.
• Queenstown: Fine, high cloud increasing from afternoon. Northwest developing morning.
• Dunedin: A fine day with high cloud in the evening. Northeasterlies developing afternoon.

Saturday

• Auckland: Cloudy with the occasional shower, clearing in the afternoon. Southwesterlies developing in the morning.
• Tauranga: Morning and evening cloud, otherwise fine. Westerlies.
• Hamilton: Cloud increasing with a few showers from afternoon. Westerly breezes.
• Wellington: Cloud developing late morning. Strong northerlies in the morning turning to southerlies in the evening.
• Christchurch: Fine with high cloud and northwesterlies. A few showers and a southerly change in the afternoon.
• Queenstown: Occasional rain, clearing in the afternoon as gusty northwesterlies change southwest.
• Dunedin: A few showers developing morning, chance heavy, clearing evening. Northerlies changing strong southwesterly morning.

Sunday

• Auckland: Potential early showers, then fine.
• Tauranga: Mainly fine, evening shower. Southwesterly then northeasterly winds.
• Hamilton: Fine, light winds.
• Wellington: Fine with northerlies developing.
• Christchurch: Fine with northeasterlies developing.
• Queenstown: Fine with northerlies developing.
• Dunedin: Fine with northeasterlies developing.

Monday

• Auckland: Fine with light winds.
• Tauranga: Partly cloudy, chance early shower. Westerlies developing.
• Hamilton: Cloudy periods with westerlies developing.
• Wellington: Cloud increasing and northerlies becoming strong throughout the day.
• Christchurch: Cloud with northeasterlies turning northwest.
• Queenstown: Brief morning rain, northwesterlies.
• Dunedin: Brief morning rain, northwesterlies.