It looks to be mostly fine and settled weather for the Waitaki this week, before a potential cool change in store this long weekend.

Thanks to a broad area of high pressure, most of the country will enjoy warm-ish, settled weather until Tuesday night.

However, a series of weak fronts bring some patchy rain to western and southern parts of the South Island, MetService meteorologist Dom Barry says.

“As we head into Wednesday, warm and moist northwesterlies develop over the South Island, bringing rain to western and southern parts of the South Island.

But with this warmer air also comes warmer temperatures – many places across the east of the country will see higher-than-average maximum and minimum temperatures later this week.

“For the eastern-most places like Ōamaru, Christchurch, Napier and Hastings, maximums in the mid-twenties can be expected. 

“Overnight temperatures will stay warm as well, in some cases only being a couple of degrees cooler than the day’s maximum, which might make sleeping a struggle for some,” Dom says.

On Thursday, a series of fronts move up the South Island, bringing further rain to the more southern and western parts of the island, as the high moves off to the northeast of the country.

“Low pressure is returning at the end of this week meaning some wetter weather is in store over the long weekend. With some drier weather possible for Labour Day,” Dom says.

“It is worth checking the forecast to get the best out of the weekend.”