'Tale of two halves': Showers strengthen in western parts of NZ as east stays brighter

New Zealand gets another taste of winter on Monday as cold southwesterlies bring showers to western areas and snow in Fiordland.

Eastern areas will enjoy a brighter start to the working week, before showers ease across both islands on Tuesday.

“It will be a tale of two halves,” MetService meteorologist Oscar Shiviti said.

A front was moving north over the central North Island on Sunday, with cold southwesterlies following in its wake, Shiviti said.

All South Island state highways reopened on Sunday after snow shut Lewis Pass and trapped vehicles near Lake Pūkaki.

MetService lifted all South Island weather warnings, but urged motorists to watch for frost overnight and on Monday morning.

Southwesterlies are set to bring showers to western New Zealand on Monday, especially the South Island’s west and south coasts.

Snow could dust Fiordland down to about 600-700m during the morning.

Shiviti said the snow should be the last of the season.

Showers in the west of the North Island could become heavier during the afternoon and continue into the evening, Shiviti said.

The eastern North Island “looks the place to be” on Monday, with generally fine weather while showers linger in the west, Shiviti said.

Christchurch residents will wake to patches of frost on Monday before cloud moves in, bringing the chance of an afternoon shower.

Aucklanders will want to keep a raincoat handy for the start of the working week, with partly cloudy skies and a few showers forecast on Monday.

The showers will be lighter in the morning, while southwesterly winds will strengthen during the afternoon.

Wellington has a brighter Monday ahead, with mainly fine weather and only the chance of an afternoon shower.

Northwesterlies will blow through the capital before turning southwesterly at night.

Waikato’s Sunday rain was forecast to ease to isolated showers in the evening, with northwesterlies turning southwesterly after a period of strong late-afternoon winds.

Taranaki will have to wait until Tuesday for its brighter spell, with fine weather apart from isolated showers.

Tuesday will bring fine weather to Wellington, with westerlies turning northeasterly in the evening, Shiviti said.

Across the wider North Island, scattered showers will affect western areas on Tuesday before clearing in the evening. Mainly fine weather will prevail elsewhere, he said.

The South Island’s south and west will also see showers, but these will ease and become isolated later in the day, Shiviti said.

“The rest of the island can expect mainly fine weather.”

Tom Eley is a multimedia journalist at the Waikato Herald. Before he joined the Hamilton-based team, he worked for the Weekend Sun and Sunlive. He previously worked as a journalist at Black Press Media in Canada and won a fellowship with the Vancouver Sun.