Our disturbed summer weather pattern continues as a low in the Southern Ocean again fires a cold, wet, windy change up the country.

The winds are being generated between the low and fairly strong high over the North Island.

The high looks set to stand its ground but don’t expect perfect weather today – most regions are in for more of the unsettled weather – and while winds shouldn’t be much of a problem over the upper North Island, clouds and afternoon or evening showers are likely.

Blustery winds will continue to ease today over the South Island – as the low responsible moves further away.

Heavy rain will also ease as the front heads north, weakening significantly as it runs into the high.  As we’ve said before, a front pushing into a high is like a human running in water…its slow and hard going and eventually you give up.  These fronts will do the same, and should lose most of their puff when they fizzle out over the North Island on Thursday.

The cold air behind the fronts will push across much of the South Island today and into the lower North Island – but it’s not as cold as what we saw last Friday and Saturday, but certainly below average again.

Cold air isn’t likely to penetrate much north of Waikato and Auckland.

And if you’re getting tired of these southerlies, there is good news for you.

WeatherWatch.co.nz predicts that north to north east winds will become more set in over New Zealand as we head across the first half of February bringing warmer and more humid weather to the nation – but not promising sunnier weather just yet.

–  Homepage image / File, Joy Elley

– WeatherWatch.co.nz