A westerly quarter airflow lies over New Zealand on Thursday, moving around a high sitting in the north Tasman Sea. Around midday a front moves onto the lower South Island.

Mostly sunny for much of the North Island on Thursday, just a few clearing morning showers for East Cape. Some cloud at times in the west south of Taranaki may deliver a light shower or two, mainly morning.

For the South Island, rain pushes onto South Westland from midday with heavy falls developing. Mainly dry in the east with some high cloud. A few spots of rain possible about Southland and Otago, showers then move through for a time in the evening with a southwest change.

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson – WeatherWatch.co.nz