A front slowly moves off the upper South Island then pushes onto the lower North Island during Wednesday, a ridge of high pressure starts to push onto the South Island later in the day.

The odd shower for the western North Island on Wednesday, rain moves into the southwest in the afternoon with heavy falls possible about Taranaki by evening. The east coast is mainly dry, rain pushes into Wairarapa in the evening.

Heavy rain eases about the upper South Island from afternoon, rain spilling into Canterbury and Marlborough clears up during the afternoon. Rain about the lower South Island eases to showers in the afternoon and mostly clears by evening.

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson – WeatherWatch.co.nz