A very large low in the Southern Ocean may bring severe gales to the lower South Island next week…but before then, a large high should give us a mainly fine weekend.  Data/Image: NCEP, IGES/COLA

Today will see the centre of our large low moving across the lower North Island and then out into the Pacific.  Before it leaves it’ll fire one last shot of big showers and strong winds across western and central areas of the North Island.

This morning strong winds – up to 90km/h in exposed places – were blasting across northern New Zealand.

By tomorrow just coastal showers should remain – and most of them will be light and isolated around the North Island.  Some shower activity is also expected around Southland and Otago, especially near the coast.

But another big high is moving in for the weekend and while there maybe one or two lingering coastal showers early Saturday it is looking like another sunny, warm and dry weekend.  Plenty of sun through the interior and partly fine weather in the west.  Sheltered areas like Bay of Plenty, Nelson and Marlborough should have a bumper weekend and the ski fields are also looking fantastic.  Eastern areas may have some cloud about, but nothing too major at this stage.

The large high should last into early next week except for the bottom half of the South Island – our next low will be moving in then from the Southern Ocean and it should create some strong winds which will slowly travel northwards.  That means it’ll be warm across the South Island’s east coast.

Winds may reach severe gale force in some parts of southern and eastern South Island early next week so check back with the Weather Watch Centre for all the latest weather news on our next spring system.