File photo. Photo: 123rf
The weather for the long weekend is likely to be mostly fine, but expect spring showers to continue.
MetService was forecasting mainly fine weather for the North Island on Saturday, but occasional rain could hit Waikato to Gisborne and isolated showers were expected in Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa.
The west of the South Island should have fine weather on the horizon, but showers were likely to spread from the south into the east on Saturday.
Sunday was forecast to offer fine spells for much of the North Island, with isolated showers north of Taupō and showers in the east becoming isolated late in the day.
The South Island was expected to be mainly fine in the west on Sunday, but there could be scattered showers for the rest of Te Waipounamu, clearing in the south late in the day.
On Monday, the south of the North Island was expected to be fine, but showers were expected for the rest of the island. Isolated showers in the northeast of the South Island were forecast to clear to mostly fine weather on Monday.
Showers were likely to develop in southern Westland and Fiordland late on Monday.
"After a week of thunderstorms, strong winds and seesawing temperatures, the good news is the weekend is shaping up to bring some more settled weather back to the shores of Aotearoa New Zealand," MetService meteorologist Jon Law said.
"There is a fly in the ointment however, a slow-moving area of low-pressure drifting just to the north of the country will be keeping some cloudier skies and showers in the north for the start of the long weekend."
Law said the long weekend would have promising weather moments for most.
"If you are off to the east coast, the first half of the weekend looks best, with cloudier skies returning for the second half.
"For the South Island, the West Coast looks set to stay dry with spells of sunshine. Thickening cloud in the east could bring an odd shower through the long weekend but there will be plenty of dry weather to enjoy," Law said.
Cooler air was expected to move north across the South Island on Sunday, but temperatures should rise again on Monday.
MetService was predicting high temperatures in Christchurch of 18C on Saturday, 12C on Sunday and 18C on Monday.
"Weather picks for this weekend could be Whanganui, which looks to stay dry all weekend with temperatures reaching 20C," Law said.
The Chatham Islands can expect a few light showers and southwesterlies over the long weekend.
