Yesterday was calm in many regions – today is much windier as the westerly change from Australia finally kicks in. Traditionally the spring westerlies arrive a couple of weeks earlier, but as you know this year the weather pattern has been behaving differently in a number of ways.

The westerly change that has now arrived is fairly normal – although perhaps this year it looks as though we’re tapping into more air from out of Australia than out of the Southern Ocean (hence lack of snow, cold and frosts so far this spring).

For the next two weeks the general air flow is from the westerly quarter with gales coming and going, NZ’s mountains and ranges will then help make for warmer, sunnier weather in many eastern areas (under this set up the ranges block clouds on the western side and create warmer, windier, clearer skiers on the eastern side).

– WeatherWatch.co.nz