With summer getting closer, Kiwis will be looking forward to shaking off recent frosts, flooding and rain for warmer, more consistent weather and NIWA say that is just around the corner.
Just two weeks ago, some Kiwis woke up to a dusting of snow as the South Island and Wellington experienced October snowfall for the first time in decades. Temperatures remained in single digits across the South Island and the wild weather even forced some schools to close for the day.
But that is about to change, with NIWA's principal scientist Chris Brandolino telling AM on Monday the variable spring weather is almost over.
"Today, a nice, warm day, relatively speaking, low twenties in some areas, but as we work away toward midweek, probably another puff of colder air, maybe some frost, which we have to keep in mind for people in the agricultural interests," Brandolino told AM co-host Melissa Chan-Green.
He said New Zealand's going to pivot to more "persistent warmth as we work our way through the weekend".
"This time next week and the public holiday, Labour Day, Tuesday and Wednesday, boy, it's going to feel quite warm," he said.
"I mean, we're talking early next week, well into the twenties, maybe, even approaching 30 for some hot spots next week."
After months of rain, which has seen flooding for many parts of the country, Brandolino said the outlook for the rest of spring will be high temperatures, which could bring droughts.
"So La Niña is going to give us more persistent high pressure in the second half of spring and into the start of summer and that means we have to worry about dryness. So for those from the lower North Island, so Wellington Taranaki over toward the South Island, so West Coast especially, but much of the South Island, we've got to start thinking about dryness as we work away through the next several weeks," he said.
"So we don't want too much of a good thing because too much of a good thing is a bad thing, that being sunshine and dry weather. I know we would like a change but like this be careful what we're wishing for."
Brandolino told AM warm ocean temperatures coming from the north mean the weather will remain hot during the summer.
"If our ocean temperatures are running warmer than average, that's going to load the dice and make it more likely our air temperatures are going to be warmer than average," he told AM.
"It looks like the odds for warmer than usual ocean temperatures across the country for the next several weeks as we exit spring, enter summer sort of thing, that's going to be something we'll have to watch out for because that will keep temperatures elevated."
But Brandolino warned La Niña could bring above-average rainfall for everywhere north of Taranaki for the rest of the year.
Watch the full interview with Chris Brandolino above.
