The forecast is out: what weather you can expect for Christmas day

Publish Date: Monday, 17 December 2018, 2:11PM

You'll need to head for central New Zealand on Christmas Day if you're keen on some festive sun.

The MetService forecast for December 25, published yesterday, gives the first strong hint that Santa deliveries and Christmas picnics may need umbrella protection in the upper North Island and the lower and western South Island.

In between those places, however, it's looking like it will be a cracker of a Christmas.

A lot can change in 10 days but at present the generally unsettled weather of late spring/early summer looks set to continue on many days in the countdown to Christmas, and to linger through the start of the holiday season.

Some upper North Island areas are forecast to have a fine start on Christmas Day with rain later, while Auckland can expect showers and southwesterlies.

But Napier, Wellington, Nelson and Christchurch are lined up for sunshine.