High pressure dominates the wider New Zealand area today with slight areas of low pressure forming across both Islands during the afternoon. A low pressure system west of the South Island in the Tasman Sea and a high centre to the southeast drags in an easterly quarter airflow over most of the country on Tuesday.

Morning cloud about the upper North Island breaks to sun this afternoon, some areas of cloud may hang about western coastal areas during the day. Winds from the southwest. Mostly sunny for the lower North Island, cloud moves into Wellington by midday then gradually pushing northwards along the east coast reaching Gisborne late afternoon as southerly winds freshen. This cloud may bring a shower or two otherwise mainly dry. Mostly cloudy for the east coast of the South Island, some drizzle this morning about Canterbury for most then becoming drier from afternoon. The odd isolated shower may develop about the main divide late afternoon / evening, especially for Buller where there could even be a heavy fall.

Dry for most of the North Island on Tuesday, in the afternoon showers develop about inland areas, some may become heavy with thunderstorms then easing later in the evening. Some rain spreads into the east coast later in the evening / overnight. A mostly cloudy day for a fair amount of the South Island, expect areas of patchy rain or showers, just Fiordland and Southland stay mainly dry.

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson – WeatherWatch.co.nz