A large anticyclone centred just north of the North Island casts a ridge of high pressure over New Zealand today bringing mainly settled conditions. A northwesterly airflow lies over New Zealand on Wednesday with a front moving onto the lower South Island from afternoon.

Sunny spells for the western side of the country today, sunny in the east. Winds mostly from the westerly quarter, afternoon east to northeasterly winds along the east coast.

A mix of sun and cloud for the western North Island on Wednesday, a shower or two possible from afternoon about Taranaki as cloud thickens. Risk of an isolated afternoon shower for Northland also. The east coast is mainly sunny with warm temperatures. Sunny areas and developing high cloud for the east coast of the South Island, warm to hot afternoon temperatures. Mostly cloudy along the West Coast with the odd light shower, rain from afternoon about South Westland with heavy falls developing then moving northwards overnight. Southland and Otago may see a spot of rain in the afternoon.

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson – WeatherWatch.co.nz