Christmas weather: What's in store for your neck of the woods

We're only days away from Christmas and a lot of people are beginning their holiday break tomorrow, so what's in store?

NIWA meteorologist Chris Brandolino says "as we go ahead over the next couple of days, generally speaking, we should find things settling down for the most part ... so from today through to Christmas Day."

Christmas Eve looked like it would be settled, too.

"For the South Island, showers, for the east of the North Island, scattered showers during the afternoon."

Christmas is looking, generally, to be a good day, Brandolino says.

"There will be some showers around the country during the day on Christmas, it's not going to be everywhere.

"I think we start the day as we're opening up gifts with some showers potentially for Otago, lower Canterbury, parts of Southland, Bay of Plenty some scattered showers. Then some showers become more widespread during the afternoon.

"So if you're going to be over towards say Taupō, over towards central Hawke's Bay, Central Plateau, interior Bay of Plenty, interior (Gisborne) there are likely to some showers, maybe a few odd downpours during the day.

"Boxing Day, things should begin to settle down again."

Brandolino said the prevalent weather pattern was what he called a "back door low".

"Weather traditionally comes from the west and goes to the east, there'll be a low that's spinning up to our north and east and backing in, hence the term.

"As a consequence that'll kind of give areas to our east the greatest chance for showers as we work our way into Christmas Eve and Christmas Day."

Earlier in December, NIWA published a regional breakdown of Christmas weather predictions.

It said in comparison to last year, things were looking good.

2019 Christmas and Boxing Day forecast

Upper North Island (including Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Coromandel Peninsula)

• Mostly dry conditions likely.
• Daytime temperatures near average (generally in the low 20s).

East Coast (including Gisborne, Napier, Wairarapa)

• Mostly dry conditions likely.
• Daytime temperatures near average (generally in the mid 20s).

Western North Island (including New Plymouth, Whanganui)

• Scattered showers possible.
• Daytime temperatures slightly below average (generally in the upper teens).

Lower North Island (including Wellington)

• Scattered showers possible.
• Daytime temperatures near average (generally in the upper teens).

Upper South Island (including Nelson, Blenheim)

• Scattered showers possible.
• Daytime temperatures slightly below average (generally in the upper teens to near 20 degrees).

Eastern South Island (including Christchurch, Timaru)

• A few showers possible.
• Daytime temperatures below average (generally in the mid-to-upper teens).

Lower South Island (including Dunedin, Invercargill)

• Scattered showers possible.
• Daytime temperatures below average (generally in the mid teens).

Lakes Region (including Queenstown, Wanaka)

• Scattered showers possible.
• Daytime temperatures below average (generally in the mid teens).

West Coast (including Greymouth, Hokitika)

• Showers likely.
• Daytime temperatures below average (generally in the mid teens).