It's been a busy week, both in the polling booths and on the weather front, with two lows crossing the country and the 2017 election closing yesterday evening.

On Monday the first low of the week crossed the country followed by the second during Wednesday and Thursday, with ridges of high pressure sandwiched in-between.

'Rain, hail, fog and sun was experienced over the country at various times this week – a changeable weather pattern that is very common in spring,” says MetService meteorologist April Clark.

'With the equinox occurring this weekend, the temperature difference between the equator and poles is now at a maximum. This in turn increases the transfer of heat energy between the equator and poles in the form of fronts, essentially leading to unsettled weather over New Zealand in spring.

'We can expect fast moving fronts accompanied by strong winds and rain to affect our Islands with some regularity right up to summer.”

In the wake of the election results, the weather is set to remain unsettled in the short term as an active front bringing warm, moist air ahead of it is forecast to move northwards from the South Island over central New Zealand on Monday.

'This warm air originated from the recently sweltering eastern coasts of Australia, though by the time it reaches our shores it will have greatly cooled as it picks up moisture from the Tasman Sea.”

Though the air may arrive to New Zealand cooler than it was in Australia, temperatures will take a decidedly warm turn for a couple of days over eastern areas with the maximum forecast for Napier on Monday sitting at 25C (close to their September record of 25.9C in 1998).

However, the strong, warm north westerlies ahead of the front means rain for western regions, with heavy falls and thunderstorms forecast for those across the entire South Island's west.