Photo: RNZ
Waitangi Day will be sunny for much of the country, but a brief spell of rain and cooler temperatures is expected for the South Island.
A ridge of high pressure on Tuesday was expected to bring sunny and dry weather, with some exceptions for the northern half of the North Island and the lower and eastern South Island, which could see cloud or isolated showers.
Temperatures should climb in the lower South Island on Wednesday, with highs in the mid to upper 20s.
MetService said the summery weather would be short-lived as a weather system approached from the west, bringing rain at night.
"Brief rain spreads up the South Island on Thursday, bringing a cooler day for many.
There could be rain for parts of the South Island on Thursday. Photo: UnSplash/ Craig Whitehead
"For the rest of the country, Waitangi Day is shaping up to be mostly settled, including in Waitangi itself," MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon confirmed on Monday he would eschew the commemorations at Waitangi, instead heading south for the Ngāi Tahu Waitangi Day commemorations at Ōnuku Marae in Akaroa.
He would be attending alongside governor-general Dame Cindy Kiro, MPs, local government leaders, members of the local community, and whānau from across the motu.
The event was open to the public and would begin with a pōwhiri at 9am.
Luxon, Kiro and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Kaiwhakahaere Justin Tipa would deliver speeches, followed by a panel discussion, hākari (feast), entertainment and market stalls, as well as activities for tamariki.
Christopher Luxon will speak in Akaroa on Waitangi Day. Photo: RNZ / Reece Baker
MetService's monthly outlook started off on the drier side, with northerly lows predicted in the middle of the month and occasionally chilly temperatures across some Eastern areas.
By the end of the month, things were looking a little more like an ordinary summer, with "quite seasonable weather" and the usual sequence of high pressure interrupted by brief weathermakers - such as rainy conditions - according to the monthly forecast.
MetService continued to keep a close watch on the tropics, where low-pressure systems between Australia and Vanuatu had the potential to develop into tropical cyclones.
"At this early stage, these systems appear likely to remain north of Aotearoa New Zealand as they move eastwards, but our meteorologists will continue to monitor their development," Makgabutlane said.
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