A large anticyclone covers New Zealand today and Wednesday bringing mainly settled and hot weather.

A hot day in store today, mostly sunny for the North Island but there may be some morning cloud in the west. The South Island is mainly sunny also but once again a few areas of morning cloud are possible especially for coastal areas. Winds are light then tending onshore in the afternoon. Afternoon temperatures may get near the mid thirties for parts of Waikato through to inland Taranaki.

Another hot one on Wednesday, for the North Island most regions see some sun and high cloud, watch for a few areas of morning cloud also. As indicated in the map below there is the chance of a late afternoon / evening thunderstorm for inland parts of the lower North Island, if any occur these will be fairly isolated and likely affect only a small area. Sunny areas and some high cloud for the South Island, a few spots of rain may affect Southland and Otago at times. Some patchy rain or showers about Fiordland is likely, especially morning then dry spells develop from afternoon.

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson – WeatherWatch.co.nz