A trend of good weather and high temperatures will persist this week until Thursday in many parts of New Zealand thanks to a big blocking high just east of the North Island.

By Thursday a well-formed cold front approaches from the west attached to a Tasman Sea low. It will run into this blocking high, weakening the rain band but also slowing it down – ensuring cloudy and wet weather is most likely on Friday in the north, west and south of both islands mainly.

Maximum temperatures are over 4C higher than normal in most areas in the South Island and southern part of North Island from Monday to Thursday due to this warmer air flow.

Auckland, Northland, and Bay of Plenty will be also fairly dry but temperatures will remain normal with the air flow coming straight off the sea to the north east. There are a few showers in the mix for the upper North Island but nothing too significant.

This dry spell will be interrupted by the passage of developed cold front from Thursday evening to Friday which may give heavy rain in western and northern part of the country as well as the West Coast.

– Images / The Weather Company

– WeatherWatch.co.nz