A northerly airflow lies over New Zealand today, gradually increasing in strength. A warm front in this flow pushes onto the West Coast of the South Island from afternoon. A cold front pushes in from the west on Tuesday, heavy rain for some western regions and a few scattered falls spreading eastwards.

Mostly cloudy with a shower or two for the upper North Island today, mainly this afternoon. Dry with some high cloud out east. Showers about North Westland turning to rain this afternoon and becoming heavy then spreading southwards. Thickening high cloud for the South Islands east coast, scattered rain spreads into Marlborough and perhaps Canterbury late afternoon or evening.

Showers then afternoon rain for the upper / western North Island on Tuesday, easing back to showers by evening. Thick high cloud out east with a few spots of rain about Wairarapa in the afternoon then Hawkes Bay / Gisborne late afternoon or evening. Heavy morning rain for the West Coast of the South Island then easing to showers, some may be heavy with thunderstorms especially for South Westland. Morning rain in the east then becoming mostly sunny in the afternoon with strong northwesterlies. Showers about Southland early afternoon could become heavy with thunderstorms.

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson – WeatherWatch.co.nz