A southwesterly airflow lies over New Zealand today, easing further on Thursday.

Some cloud and the odd shower for the western North Island today, the odd shower about Wairarapa moves into Hawkes Bay and Gisborne around midday as southwesterlies freshen. Mostly sunny for South Westland, further north along the West Coast showers gradually clear from afternoon. Marlborough is mostly cloudy, risk of a shower or two. Nelson has some morning sun then cloud develops in the afternoon. Canterbury has a mostly sunny day, cloud about North Canterbury clears. Southland and Otago has the odd shower, snow flurries to low levels in the morning then gradually lifting. Any accumulations of snow will be very minimal to non existent.

Some cloud and the risk of a shower north of Auckland on Thursday, mostly sunny for the rest of the North Island however some cloud about Taranaki may spread into other southwestern parts of the North Island from afternoon. Mostly cloudy for the West Coast of the South Island, a light shower or two for Fiordland. Mostly sunny along the east coast, perhaps some high cloud, some mid level cloud for coastal Otago. Southland has cloudy periods and the odd shower.

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson – WeatherWatch.co.nz