After a spate of wet, windy and cold weather, New Zealand is finally set to enjoy some warmer temperatures this weekend.
"Warmer than average weather" will spread back into the North Island for the first time in five days on Friday, thanks to air flows from the Tasman Sea, says Weather Watch.
Even warmer weather is likely this weekend for some areas.
- NZ weather: Abnormal El Niño weather likely this summer
- New Zealand wakes to unseasonably cold spring morning
- Motorists warned to stay off roads as severe weather batters southern South Island
It comes as forecasters say an abnormal El Niño weather event is looking likely for New Zealand over summer. NIWA meteorologist Ben Noll said there was now an 80 percent chance it will happen.
But while it's expected to warm up across the country, Weather Watch has warned of thunderstorms "highly likely" through the interior of both main islands.
Hawke's Bay is the only region that will experience a "cooler than average" afternoon on Friday, says Weather Watch.
Most other North Island regions, after a cooler start on Thursday, will enjoy a normal November afternoon high.
Meanwhile, some in the South Island are enjoying a warmer than average day for the first time this week, after more than half of this week has been colder than average.
Wild weather in Otago left roads closed and private bores undrinkable earlier this week.
Six roads in the area were shut on Tuesday due to flooding, and the Civil Defence urged people to stay out of floodwaters and avoid collecting shellfish as it could be contaminated.
Earlier in the week, motorists across Otago and Southland were warned to stay off the roads due to heavy rain and snow. Between 25 and 50 millimetres of rain has fallen in the region on Monday.
Meanwhile, Aucklanders woke to an unseasonably cold spring morning on Wednesday as the week's unsettled weather continued to bite.
By 5am, Auckland and Christchurch had still not broken the double digits, according to NIWA. The cities reached 9degC and 8degC respectively.
Weather has been unsettled across the country for much of mid-November. On Tuesday, a heavy hailstorm shocked Aucklanders.
MetService says there will be more rain in a number of areas in the country this weekend and early next week.
Newshub.
