Christmas is looking mostly pleasant across northern and central New Zealand but for the rest of the country, you may have to plan some indoor activities for the kids.
The North Island will be mainly dry but parts of the South Island are forecast for unsettled and cooler conditions, MetService warns.
Southland and Otago will be expecting thunderstorms and hail, especially in inland areas, but they will ease later in the evening.
MetService Meteorologist Peter Little says it's less than optimal for outdoor-enthusiasts.
"For most of us the weather leading up to Christmas Day is not ideal for completing that final bit of gardening or tidying up outdoors, and folk with kids on holiday will need to plan some indoor activities."
"If you're planning on having your Christmas meal outdoors, it would be wise to consult your forecast on MetService to see whether you need a back-up plan."
The North Island will be mainly dry but fairly cloudy with a south to southwest flow at times.
Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga will be seeing mostly sunny skies, with south-westerly breeze, and daytime temperatures reaching to mid-twenties.
Cloudy periods, southerly winds and a high of 19 degrees are forecast for Wellington.
Nelson is expecting a mostly sunny day, a few clouds are expected for Marlborough. High of 22 degrees.
Christchurch and Dunedin should expect clouds and some showers. High of 16 degrees.
Southland and Otago should expect showers from the afternoon. Showers could be heavy with thunderstorms and hail then easing later in the evening. High of 18 degrees.
Cooler temperatures are expected for most parts of the country on Boxing Day.
"Snow is forecast down to 1000 metres over the South Island this weekend," Little says.
"A maximum temperature of just 13 degrees is forecast for Ashburton on Saturday, which is around 8 degrees below average for this time of the year."
"In the Capital, a chilly 14 degrees high and strong southerlies are forecast for Sunday."
