High pressure brings mainly settled weather to New Zealand on Monday, a northerly airflow will start to increase over the South Island during the day.

For the upper North Island conditions are mostly sunny, chance of an early mist or fog patch about inland areas (i.e. Waikato) then clearing. Winds are light with afternoon sea breezes. A few clouds may build in the afternoon about some hills / ranges bringing the risk of an isolated shower otherwise mainly dry.

The lower North Island is a similar story as the upper half, northerly winds will build about Cook Strait and Wellington during the day however becoming blustery at times afternoon onwards. Temperatures getting into the mid to late twenties across most of the North Island however some coastal fringes may only see high’s in the low twenties due to sea breezes.

For the South Island, any morning cloud breaks otherwise conditions are mostly sunny, high cloud pushes northwards over the Island from afternoon. Lower level cloud starts to thicken about Fiordland from late afternoon bringing a few showers or some drizzle. Winds are from the northeast along the West Coast then tending northwest in the afternoon. Northwesterlies for most in the east however tending northeast about coastal Canterbury in the afternoon before the northwest pushes right through to the coast in the evening.

Temperatures from Southland up through to Nelson in the east, also Buller reaching into the mid to late twenties. Inland eastern parts may even crack into the 30’s for isolated areas. Temperatures south of Buller along the West coast reach into the high teens or early twenties.

Image: Monday 16th December 2018 1:00pm MSLP / Rain map – weathermap.co.nz

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson – WeatherWatch.co.nz