Here’s what is making the weather headlines today….

Why it's windy and wet for Auckland, Waikato, Coromandel Peninsula and Bay of Plenty right now – but not so bad in Northland. 🌀The calmer, drier, centre of the low is placed over Northland this morning.https://t.co/gb7E1quzdb / https://t.co/D35ySCkVqG / #IBM pic.twitter.com/aEAlrpOTyF

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) July 20, 2023

STRONG WINDS, HEAVY RAIN – NORTH ISLAND

Today’s main focus will be strong southeasterly winds for most of the North Island, winds will be strongest for coastal parts. Winds also about Tasman and the Marlborough Sounds are very strong from the southeast also.

A front brings in heavy rain to the Coromandel and potentiall western Bay Of Plenty, also East Cape / Gisborne.

Metservice have various watches and warnings out, you can see them here.

MOSTLY SUNNY – WEST COAST AND FAR SOUTH

While many parts of the country have very unsettled weather today, somewhere else usually has to benefit. That’s the nature of New Zealand’s weather and our geography, if unpleasant conditions come in from one direction it’s usually not to bad on the other side.

That is the case for the West Coast and far south of the South Island (Southland and Otago). It will be frosty this morning to start about the far south and frosts get even heavier overnight.

Saturday is very similar with the West Coast and far south likely to have another good day, this time with less high cloud.

HEAVY RAIN COMING – NORTH CANTERBURY / KAIKOURA

The heavy rain we have moving into northeastern parts of the North Island today will slip down the eastern side of the country on Saturday setting up shop north of Banks Peninsula.

Later on Saturday and into Sunday heavy rain may move as far south as South Canterbury and continue to be heavy further north. Rain south of Banks Peninsula looks to ease up later on Sunday.

Heavy rain finally eases north of Banks Peninsula during Monday.

The precipitation percentage of normal map below shows how north of Banks Peninsula in the east is due for more rain than would normally be anticipated at this time of year.

The map above runs from today through to Thursday 27th July. Blue coloring means that part of the country is likely to see more rainfall than would normally be expected at this time of year, red means less rainfall is expected and white is an average amount of rainfall. The more intense either red or blue then either scenario is more true.