The first day of summer is just days away - but dipping temperatures and heavy rain throughout the country may have you thinking otherwise.
And NIWA says this summer will be dominated by La Niña, which could mean more rain.
Queues built on Sunday after a crucial route linking Wellington to Porirua was blocked.
A section of State Highway 2 near Lower Hutt was also blocked after a chunk of hillside threateningly close to a home slipped after relentless rain.
"It's been pretty heavy, in fact since midnight some places even in Wellington have got in excess of 50mm or more. Taranaki got as much as 45mm," said NIWA meteorologist Tristan Meyers.
Severe weather battered most of the country on Sunday. In Auckland the crowd lining Queen Street was just as colourful as the floats they'd come to see in the Santa Parade.
A band of heavy showers swept through right on cue but nothing was going to steal that Christmas spirit.
The current colour of the countryside is keeping in theme. NIWA said this time last year conditions were dryer, especially in Canterbury and Wairarapa.
"It's been a pretty wet month overall this November and for all of Aotearoa - maybe except for Fiordland," Meyers said.
It's bad news for barbeques but for farmers it's perfect.
"Just awesome, meant that we can turn irrigators off," MidCanterbury farmer David Clark said.
Crops are looking good ahead of next year's harvest.
"Whilst it's nice to have the tap turned on we just have to make sure we can have the tap turned off in February," Clark added.
This is to avoid another devastating harvest hampered by unseasonable rain. But can we expect a drought?
"It's going to take a long time for those soils to dry out so it's set us up for December at least," Meyers said.
"As the saying goes, we're only two weeks away from a drought," Clark added.
Farmers hoping for the best as warmer weather arrives shortly.
