Will wet weather from Australia come our way? That’s what we’re looking into as high pressure is again dominating New Zealand for Thursday with another high pressure system expected to move in this weekend. At the same time the sub-tropical rains on the northern side of the high are being fed directly into Australia and may well cause problems for them for the remainder of March.

The 10 day forecast for most New Zealand centres is dry or mainly dry. 

Meanwhile Sydney’s 10 day forecast is for rain and scattered thunderstorms. Brisbane is basically the same.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says Australia’s eastern seaboard is in for downpours similar to the ones that flooded the upper North Island last week and weekend.

7 day outlook shows areas in red as much drier than average, white average and darker blue much wetter than average / GFS

With a stream of high pressure systems coming in from south of Australia and across New Zealand it will help encourage a drier trend in New Zealand while eastern Australia remains wet, wet, wet.

The weather in New Zealand won’t be perfectly sunny and settled every day. This Friday as high number one moves away and before high number two arrives for the weekend there will be a period of rain around Fiordland with clouds and showers briefly spreading to surrounding areas. Some other regions may be a little windier and cloudier for a time.

Again next Monday there may be some windier southerly quarter winds and a few showers/clouds as high pressure retreats into the Tasman Sea for a day or so, but at the same time still encouraging a very wet east to north east flow into Australia.

Next week there is a chance this heavy rain from Australia may connect with the South Island’s West Coast and slowly spread northwards as the week wears on. If this occurs then next weekend we may be seeing more humid weather return to northern New Zealand.

In the meantime – enjoy the high pressure, but keep an eye on the rain around eastern Australia as it might come our way next week, or before the end of March.

– Image / 1pm Thursday shows a huge high over New Zealand, which is helping encourage rain along Australia’s east coast

– WeatherWatch.co.nz