A cold start in the South should make way for a fine day today, and the outlook is promising for Anzac Day tomorrow.
Residents in many Otago centres are waking to single-digit temperatures, and there are reports of frosts in some inland areas.
At 7.30am Alexandra airport was registering a cool -0.8dgeC, the MetService website showed.
Meanwhile, a front whipping up the country is making for a damp Sunday for those further north.
Metservice duty meteorologist Claire Flynn said the front was over Mt Taranaki and the Tararua Ranges, where a weather watch was in place, just after 7am. It had already made its presence felt further south, with downpours in Wellington early this morning.
The upper North Island could expect to feel its force later this morning and early afternoon, Miss Flynn said.
Showers, some heavy, arrived in the city of sails just after 6am. A mild 20 degrees Celsius was expected, as was more rain.
"That front is coming up the North Island so you might get some brief heavy rain from midday or in the early afternoon before it clears."
Showers would be more frequent in Hamilton, where the temperature will reach 19C and the front will also deliver downpours. Wellington will be showery before clearing in the early afternoon, and can expect 18C.
Christchurch and Dunedin will enjoy a sunny day, with temperatures of 17C and 18C respectively.
Anzac Day will be fine, albeit brisk, for much of the country, Miss Flynn said.
Only a few showers are expected in the south and west of the South Island.
Auckland and Hamilton will be fine with 21C while Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin can expect 17C. It may feel colder for most though, with a south-westerly wind forecast, she said.
The long weekend weather was typical for the time of year.
"You quite often get fronts moving up the country, just like this, at this time of year."
