A high sits in the Tasman Sea today as a westerly quarter airflow gradually builds, mainly in the south. A front pushes northwards over the country on Wednesday with northwesterly winds ahead of the front and changing southwest in behind. A west to northwesterly airflow over New Zealand on Thursday as an anticyclone sits west of the North Island in the Tasman Sea.

Tuesday

Blue – Heavy rain moves into South Westland overnight.

Purple – Brisk to strong northwesterly winds develop overnight about the interior of the South Island and through Cook Strait. Strong to gale northeasterlies develop about coastal Fiordland later in the evening.

Yellow – Temperatures reaching into the mid 20’s for the areas marked below in the afternoon.

Wednesday

Blue – Heavy rain for North Westland eases in the afternoon.

Purple – Strong northwesterlies about the interior of the upper South Island easing from late afternoon, strong to gale northwesterlies through Cook Strait ease in the evening.

Strong to gale westerlies about coastal Southland and the Catlins during the day.

Yellow – Temperatures reaching into the mid 20’s for a time for the eastern South Island and eastern North Island.

Thursday

Blue – Areas of heavy rain from afternoon for the West Coast of the South Island.

Yellow – Afternoon high’s in the mid 20’s for the areas marked below.

While northwesterlies do get breezy in the afternoon for some there is no warning here at this stage.

– Please note, the idea behind this update is to focus on the main weather highlights, which is why not all regions are mentioned. 

For specific 10 day information for your city, town, rural community or island please see the 1500 forecasts on our homepage!

– Aaron Wilkinson, WeatherWatch.co.nz