The final surge of cold air from this weeks southerly airflow pushes across New Zealand over the next two days – ahead of a large high pressure system rolling in for the weekend and next week.

Before the high arrives we have one last burst of southerly energy that will again see snow falling over ski fields in both islands, more rain and showers for the West Coast and more of those blustery winds across both islands.

By Friday evening showers will be mostly confined to the east coast of the North Island with southerlies starting to ease in Wellington city.

By Saturday morning most of New Zealand’s main centres will be dry but a few showers are possible around East Cape and Fiordland areas.

Sunday sees a mix of high pressure and settled weather along with the end of the southerly – but that southerly may bring more showers to eastern areas of both islands this weekend as it heads northwards.  The high will move into western areas on Sunday.

Around Monday high pressure should dominate much of New Zealand – bringing settled and mostly dry weather to the country for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday – and some in the east until late next week.

– Image / File, David Hawke

– WeatherWatch.co.nz