A large low pressure system is centred to the east of New Zealand today slowly rotating a cold southwesterly airflow over the country bringing unsettled weather to most regions. A cold southwesterly continues on Saturday, a cold front within this flow hits the lower South Island around midday then pushes northwards to reach the lower North Island overnight.

Areas of rain or showers for most of the North Island today, there may be a few heavy falls with thunderstorms and hail in the west at times.

For the West Coast of the South Island any early showers clear then conditions becoming mainly sunny. The odd shower about coastal Southland spreads northwards during the afternoon and evening into parts of Otago and Canterbury with a southwest change gusty about coastal areas. Some hail possible for Canterbury in the evening with the odd heavy fall.

Morning showers clear the upper North Island on Saturday then mainly sunny, a similar picture for south of Taranaki in the west although cloud builds in the evening with the odd late shower possible. A few showers for the coastal fringes along the east coast gradually easing and clearing during the day, cold southwesterly winds. Just inland in the east morning cloud breaks to sunny areas which increase. Overnight a gusty southerly change moves into Wellington bringing showers.

Mainly sunny for the upper South Island on Saturday, just some high cloud at times. Rain pushes into Fiordland in the morning then moves northwards along the West Coast during the day, there may be a few heavy falls although not looking too bad. Rain pushes into Southland around midday then Otago during the afternoon with a cold southwest change, easing back to showers after a period of time, some snow may lower to 300m during the evening. Later in the evening or overnight southwesterlies freshen about Canterbury bringing a few showers, they are fairly fleeting however.

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson – WeatherWatch.co.nz