The decision between wearing a raincoat and a beanie, or shorts and a t-shirt will be tough this week, with MetService forecasting changing winds, which will in turn bring fluctuating temperatures for the week ahead.

Strong Winds were felt along the eastern coast of North Otago on Monday, and have been forecast further north, with a wind warning issued  from Kaikoura northwards to Wellington and up to Hastings. An intense cold front, known colloquially as a ‘southerly buster’, is making a quick journey northward.

MetService Meteorologist Clare O’Connor says a ‘southerly buster’ is a particularly strong cold front, “characterised by blustery wind changes and a large drop in temperatures”. 

“A drop of 10°C in a matter of minutes and winds suddenly gusting 90km/h is not unusual with the passage of these fronts,” she says.

A risk of thunderstorms with hail is also forecast for some eastern areas, which all adds up to a rather dramatic Monday afternoon and evening in the east.

The aftermath will be felt into Tuesday, with heavy swells of up to six metres forecast off the east coast of the North Island and the Chatham Islands. 

Tuesday should be the beginning of the calm after the storm as high pressure builds over the country. And while Wednesday wakes to a cold morning, the snap is short-lived with above-average temperatures expected from Wednesday afternoon, as milder westerly winds develop about the lower half of the South Island, then spread northwards over Thursday, Clare says.

However, another swing to the lower end of the temperature scale, and a burst of heavy rain could be seen over the weekend.