A front sweeps northwards over New Zealand today bringing rain or showers to most regions for a time, heavy in the west. 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.

As a front sweeps northwards over New Zealand today, expect heavy rain for the West Coast of the South Island to ease from afternoon, rain becoming heavy about Taranaki in the afternoon then easing there in the evening. A few spots of rain spread into eastern regions for a time. A period of showers moves through Otago in the afternoon with a southwest change, reaching Canterbury in the evening.

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. 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