Otago's damp Christmas Day weather looks likely to keep things cooler.
Rain has fallen throughout Otago - and much of the rest of the country - in the past few days and is not predicted to let up for a few days.
Otago's rivers are rising but only the Pomahaka River at Leithen Glen was on flood alert last night.
MetService forecaster Liz Ward says low cloud and drizzle is expected to continue this morning but will start to clear as the southerly turns easterly and blows cloud and moisture away.
''It's rather chilly. Not very summery.''
The weather change was predicted to be slow moving, so there could be further cloudy periods and drizzle tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday, she said.
''There is a chance of some sunny spells.''
Weather in inland Otago was expected to clear sooner as the northeaster dried things out, she said.
Temperatures would continue in the mid-teens until the end of the week, when they could reach the early 20degC, she said.
Dunedin appeared to have taken the brunt of the recent wet weather in Otago, recording 103.2mm of rain so far, the most rain to have fallen in a month since July and above the city's December average of 80mm.
About 10mm fell in the city yesterday and 16mm on Christmas Eve, on top of 22mm on Saturday.
Coastal towns in the province have not experienced rain of the same intensity this month, with Oamaru to date recording 84mm and Balclutha 63.9mm.
Inland had also been drier, with Ranfurly recording 63.2mm of rain, Queenstown 36mm and Wanaka 22.2mm.
