The rain in Auckland won't be easing until this evening, but once it passes be prepared for a drop in temperatures, a meteorologist warns.
MetService meteorologist John Law said this week the whole country will feel a significant change to colder weather.
"This is a week to keep an eye on the thermometer, and the forecast."
As the front of wet weather passes so do the strong northwesterlies that have been keeping the temperatures in the high teens for Auckland, he said.
"The temperatures are not too bad [in Auckland] but there's plenty of wet weather.
"Through the rest of this week the winds will be southerly and [Auckland] is likely to reach around 13C.
"The temperatures will struggle even more down in the South Island.
"Places like Invercargill, which is looking at 14C today, will be down to around 8C or so later this week."
Most of the South Island will be down to 0C or below overnight from tomorrow and throughout the week.
Wellington will feel the southerly change from Wednesday, when temperatures will drop to around 9C and 5C overnight.
It's good news for skifields, Mr Law said, with snow forecast to 400m for Southland and Otago and to 700m in the Central North Island from Wednesday onwards this week.
"This is good news for Whakapapa and Turoa," he said.
Those skifields would make a decision about a new opening date in the next couple of days, spokeswoman Annah Dowsett said.
"We are very excited about the forecast.
"It hasn't snowed here yet but the temperatures are dropping.
"When the snow does fall we've got to move it and get it where it is needed. We'll be working around the clock."
The skifields have had to delay opening due to the lack of snow.
In the South Island, Coronet Peak, Cardrona and Mt Hutt are all open, while The Remarkables and Treble Cone are waiting on more snow to announce their opening dates.
