Inland areas such as Lake Wakatipu will wake to a chilly start. (File photo) Photo: Unsplash / Holger Link
Temperatures are set to dip across New Zealand this weekend, with most waking to a fine, chilly morning.
MetService meteorologist John Law said cold air was working its way up the South Island on Friday, with sprinkles of snow possible overnight in the high country of Canterbury and Otago.
The South Island would be waking to a chilly, clear, autumnal Saturday morning, with temperatures in inland parts as low as 2 to 3 degrees Celsius, he said.
Further north, the cooler temperatures would continue with a high of 16C for Wellington and 19C for Auckland. Tauranga is predicted to be the warmest on Saturday at 21C.
Most of the North Island would be dry, fine and sunny after some early showers in southern Taranaki and the Mahia Peninsula.
There is no end in sight for farmers suffering from drought in Marlborough, Tasman and Nelson, though - the top and east coast of the South Island are expected to stay "incredibly dry", Law said, and there is a moderate risk of fire.
"From Nelson, right the way down towards Dunedin it'll be clear, cold and probably a little bit chilly first thing for many spots, but that will be improving as we head through the daytime - [with] some nice spells of sunshine and generally dry weather for many spots," Law said.
On Friday morning, the Canterbury plains and coast moved from a prohibited to a restricted fire season, where a Fire and Emergency NZ permit is required before lighting an outdoor fire. The rest of Canterbury is still under an outdoor fire ban.
Sunday will be fine and dry across both islands, with increasing cloud and a few showers possible through Canterbury and the Southern Alps.