Summer is back: Most of the country set for warm weekend

Don’t expect to see any rainbows in the sky at Wellington Pride Parade on Saturday, with a high of 20C and mostly fine spells forecast for the capital.

Here’s your weather outlook for this weekend 👀

Looking rather nice for most with a ridge of high pressure situated over most of Aotearoa until Sunday ☀️ pic.twitter.com/cdarJVCX9D

— MetService NZ (@MetService) March 6, 2026

“A ridge of high pressure holds strong over the North Island until Monday, keeping the rain away for Ironman New Zealand in Taupō and for the Wellington Pride Parade on Saturday,” MetService meteorologist Michael Pawley said.

The South Island is more of a mixed bag, with Christchurch and Alexandra expected to reach the high 20s on Saturday.

However, as the winds turn southerly on Monday, the temperature looks set to come back down to the mid-teens.

The lower South Island is set for scattered showers, while there is an orange heavy rain warning in place for Fiordland and Westland until 6pm on Saturday.

A heavy rain warning is in place for the South Island’s Fiordland and Westland until 6pm Saturday. Photo / Metservice

Occasional rain is expected in the south and west of the South Island on Sunday, becoming heavier and spreading north to Canterbury later.

The forecast is looking less bright next week, with MetService head of weather Heather Keats telling Ryan Bridge TODAY that New Zealand could be hit by the “tail end” of a tropical cyclone at the end of next week.

“The uncertainty is there with variations in the model, so people can rest assured we are keeping an eye on it and will report when there is something to say.”