A cold front pushes in from the west today, heavy rain for most western regions and a few scattered falls spreading eastwards. A northwesterly airflow continues on Wednesday.

Showers then afternoon rain for the upper / western North Island, rain may be heavy then easing back to showers or clearing 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 / southeastern Otago early afternoon could become heavy with thunderstorms.

A mix of sun and cloud for the upper / western North Island on Wednesday, risk of a shower. Showers becoming heavy in the afternoon north of Auckland with possible thunderstorms then easing later in the evening. Mainly sunny along the east coast with a touch of high cloud. Heavy rain for the West Coast of the South Island, north of about Greymouth rain may not become heavy till late afternoon or evening. Mainly dry in the east with some high cloud, there may be a few spots of rain. Rain about the Canterbury high country and all inland areas see rain for a time with heavy falls the closer you get to the main divide. Southland and inland Otago will likely see a period of rain in the afternoon, also coastal Otago but to a lesser extent.

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson – WeatherWatch.co.nz