A northwesterly airflow lies over most of New Zealand today, a front pushes onto the lower South Island later this afternoon bringing in a cool change. This front pushes northwards over the South Island during Thursday, reaching the lower North Island in the evening.

A northwesterly airflow builds today, this brings some cloud to the western North Island while elsewhere stays mainly sunny. Cloudy for the West Coast of the South Island with heavy rain for Fiordland pushing a little further northwards overnight, mainly dry in the east with warm temperatures and some high cloud. Showers gradually move into Southland and Otago as cool southwesterlies develop late afternoon / evening.

Dry for the upper North Island on Thursday, cloud increases during the day with northwesterly winds. Mostly cloudy for the lower western North Island, chance of a shower then rain moves in later in the evening / overnight with the chance of heavy falls. Mostly sunny in the east, rain moves into the Wairarapa in the evening then northwards overnight. A wet day for a majority of the South Island, some heavy rain too, mainly about the main divide and along the West Coast. Nelson and Marlborough is mainly dry till late afternoon / evening then rain moves in.

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson – WeatherWatch.co.nz