Mild and cloudy conditions are dominating the country for the first day of 2024, with showers around the North Island set to ease as the day goes on.

After a mix of scorchers, downpours and thunderstorms in the final week of last year, the next few days should remain mostly overcast with temperatures staying in the low 20s.

Weather warnings and watches issued for New Year’s Eve - with strong winds tipped to hit the bottom of the North Island and top of the South and heavy rain in the Bay of Plenty - all lapsed early this morning.

Travellers at the country’s airports faced massive delays yesterday, with about 30 domestic jet services in and out of Wellington Airport cancelled due to strong winds throughout the day.

A wall of water from the Tasman Sea responsible for the wild weather began moving off the top of the country today, opening the way for a run of settled weather.

MetService meteorologist Alwyn Bakker said: “[The] big frontal system has moved across the country from the southwest. We’ve had a lot of warm air coming in from the tropics that [has made the weather] active and changeable.”

In Auckland, MetService forecast a fine Monday with a 21C high and a low of 14C. Looking ahead, temperatures should pick up again on Thursday, when the City of Sails could reach 24C. Rain could return on Saturday.

Even with rain easing, more than 20 Auckland beaches were closed after last Friday’s deluge washed sewage into the sea - many, however, seemed to be disregarding warnings and getting into the water.

The Safeswim website showed black-flag warnings, the highest risk for swimming, on popular beaches including Mission Bay, Kohimarama, Cheltenham, Milford and Mellons Bay.

🥁 And the award for the most dry days in 2023 goes to: eastern Otago & South Canterbury!

If you're a fan of dry weather, these regions are for you, with over 250 dry days ☀️

Parts of the West Coast, Wellington, & Chatham Island had more dry days than Auckland & Northland 🙃

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) December 31, 2023

In Northland, showers about Kaitaia and Whangārei should ease by dawn, making way for a fine 22C day. For the Coromandel, Whitianga should reach 23C.

Gisborne, meanwhile, had heavy showers forecast before sunrise with fine breaks throughout the day and a high of 23C. MetService forecast a cloudy morning for Napier and Hastings, turning to a fine 24C day.

Wellington, too, should see a fine day after morning showers clear, reaching 19C. MetService said temperatures in the capital should stick to about 20C, with rain returning on Friday.

Christchurch, meanwhile, was set to get pummelled by lingering heavy rain, thunderstorms and hail before dawn. MetService forecast this would clear through the morning, leaving the Garden City on 20C.

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.