Winter runs from May to September, but all types of weather can occur during any season. The country has more sunshine than might be expected in such a variable climate, and weather conditions on the milder North Island differ from those on the tempestuous South Island. The North Island and its eastern coast tend to be sunnier and drier than the South Island, where it’s not unusual for a day to start with bright sunlight, turn to wind-driven rain, intensify to snow and sleet, and then miraculously go back to dazzling sunshine.