This coming week starts off with a low pressure system and front combination today, then for the rest of the week the country lies under a southwesterly airflow with a few fronts moving through on Tuesday then again on Wednesday. Finally on Thursday a trough moves in bringing a period of quite cold air, mainly affecting the south and east of the South Island.

For today’s weather check out this mornings forecast here.

On Tuesday about the North Island expect westerly winds with cloudy periods and the
odd shower in the west, mostly sunny in the east with northwesterly winds.
Wellington sees sunny spells with gusty northwesterlies, a change to southerlies
overnight brings showers. Rain for the West Coast of the South Island eases to
showers in the afternoon as northwesterlies change southwest, generally calm
about Otago / Canterbury and Marlborough in the east then a southwest change
moves through in the afternoon and later in the evening respectively bringing a
few showers. Rain moves into Southland in the morning with light northerlies, a
midday southwest change sees rain easing to showers which clear by
evening.

Mid week comes along and early showers about most North Island
areas clear then sunny spells develop, westerly winds. From afternoon the odd
shower moves into western parts of the North Island again. Along the east coast
and about Wellington west to northwesterly winds freshen from afternoon. Showers
along the West Coast of the South Island with westerly winds, changing southwest
in the evening. West to northwest winds about Canterbury and Marlborough with
mostly sunny weather, a few showers move through again in the evening with a
southwest change.

Showers about Southland and Central Otago with
increasing northwesterlies, winds change southwest in the afternoon. Dry at
first about coastal Otago, showers move in there during the
afternoon.

Thursday sees quite cold southwesterlies spread over the
country. Southwesterlies move into the North Island in the morning bringing
showers to western regions, showers don’t push into the east coast till later in
the day. Showers clear in the afternoon about Taranaki through to Kapiti.
Morning rain clears along the West Coast of the South Island as southerly winds
push in, sunny spells increase.

Along the east coast of the South Island expect cold southwesterlies to move northwards in the morning
bringing wintry showers, North Otago and South Canterbury in particular may
remain fairly dry due to this area being quite sheltered. A few snow flurries
move in with this cold pool of air falling to 200m later in the day about Otago
and 300m overnight in Canterbrury. Southland sees cold southwesterlies all day
with wintry showers, snow flurries to 500m in the morning then lowering to low
levels in the evening (possibly sea level).

Early wintry showers clear about most regions in New Zealand on Friday then sunny spells increase with cold
southwesterlies easing. The odd shower may continue to pepper exposed areas
right on the eastern coastline of the North Island, also Auckland northwards in
the west and finally about the Southland coastline for much of the day.

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson – WeatherWatch.co.nz