An anticyclone covers most of New Zealand today, a northwesterly airflow slowly pushes in over the South Island bringing warm temperatures. A westerly quarter airflow lies over New Zealand on Thursday, moving around a large high centred to the northwest of the North Island. Meanwhile a front pushes northwards over the South Island during the day, weakening as it moves north.

Mainly sunny weather across much of the North Island today, morning cloud clears in the east. Some cloud affects Kapiti and Wellington during the day. The South Island is mainly settled, some cloud in the west especially for Fiordland with evening drizzle there. Warm afternoon temperatures for some eastern areas, perhaps getting into the early twenties.

Cloudy areas for the western North Island on Thursday, especially western Waikato southwards. Sunnier conditions out east. Heavy rain slowly pushes northwards along the South Island’s West Coast during the day, drier in the east with high cloud. Winds are gusty for much of the South Island during the day, perhaps strong at times for inland areas and through the Straits.

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson – WeatherWatch.co.nz