On Wednesday there as a northwesterly airflow developing over the South Island, while a ridge holds onto much of the North Island during the day.

Northwesterlies then pick up about the lower North Island from afternoon.

Generally it’s a mainly settled and sunny day for most, with warm weather for the east of the country and much of the North Island during the afternoon.
Cloud increases on the West Coast of the South Island from morning, with areas of rain late afternoon and into the evening – Hokitika southwards – then moving northwards overnight.

– Aaron Wilkinson & Drew Chappell, WeatherWatch.co.nz