Chaotic spring weather will continue over the next week as more rain is forecast to dampen the country after a dry first half of the year.
Weatherwatch forecasts two large lows looming off New Zealand may move over the next week, bringing miserable rain and snow flurries which may "balance the books" after a drier first half of 2019.
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The first big low will arrive on Sunday and into Monday and Tuesday. Weatherwatch says this "looks fairly North Island focused", with Tuesday likely to be the wettest day. It will linger over the country for a few days with a lot of rain forecast up north.
The second low could blow in next weekend, but the weather forecaster said with all the moving parts and "spring chaos" it was too early to definitely lock anything in.
"If it does form it really shows we're in a new pattern that is warmer and wetter, at least for the North Island," says Weatherwatch.
But it's not just the North Island that should be on the lookout with the incoming lows. Some of the rain could dampen the upper South Island which is said to look "wetter than average in the days ahead". Snow flurries should also be expected on Friday, Sunday and Monday.
"North Canterbury may be a bit bleak over Sunday and Monday with wintry conditions for newborn stock as cold and damp air combines to increase the misery index."
Metservice also forecasts a low bringing rain early next week "with strong southerlies over the central areas and snow possibly lowering to low levels in Canterbury and Marlborough".
Looking at temperatures, Weatherwatch says that as it's been so warm lately, any cool changes would simply bring the temperatures back to normal.
"It's become so standard now that our cold changes are barely making a dent."
A cold southerly will hit on Friday, with single-digit highs expected in lower and eastern parts of the South Island. If you live in coastal areas, temperatures will go into the "colder than average" camp, but other places - despite the cool wind - will remain above average or "bang on normal".
"Of course Spring is a volatile season and this doesn't mean a significant, damaging, cold event won't occur," Weatherwatch says.
"But we're highlighting the fact that many times the southerly changes this year haven't made us colder than normal, they've simply reset our temperatures back to average."
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