While leap day has extended our golden weather for another day, the start of autumn is set to bring wind and rain to most of the country this weekend.
The settled weather will continue into Friday as southerly winds ease and a ridge of high pressure spreads across the country, MetService said.
But it'll start to feel a lot like autumn over the weekend for those in the South Island, with a weak front bringing rain and strengthening northwesterlies, particularly in the west. People living in eastern areas, however, can expect to see hotter temperatures and dry conditions.
"Daytime maximums are expected to reach the high twenties in eastern areas, with Blenheim set to reach 31C on Saturday," MetService meteorologist Juliane Bergdolt said.
The North Island won't escape the downpour unscathed, with the front moving north on Sunday to bring heavy rainfall to central North Island areas before easing in the evening.
Meanwhile, an active, fast-moving cold front will approach the lower south late on Sunday, before continuing over the island on Monday. It'll be accompanied by heavy rain for western areas and northwesterly gales in central and eastern parts of New Zealand.
Bergdolt said severe weather warnings will be issued by MetService in the coming days.
Strong southwesterly winds behind the front are forecast to bring a dramatic shift to cooler conditions, with maximum daytime temperatures in just the mid-teens for southern parts of the South Island on Monday and Tuesday.
The colder air will run northwards across the country, bringing some snowfall to the tops of the Southern Alps for the early hours of Monday morning.
Up to date information on weather warnings and watches can be found on the MetService website.
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