Forget thunderstorms and forget humidity – a new southerly change developing today will finally remove the thunderstorm risk which has covered parts of the country for the past few days.  It will also lower humidity a little in the upper North Island and clear out the heavy rain from the South Island.

The south to south west winds will become brisk in exposed areas today but should ease by evening, only to return again during Friday.

While a few coastal showers are likely today the deluges of yesterday and Tuesday should be now mostly out to sea to our east.

The south to south west flow will ease again on Saturday for most of the country.

Meanwhile a ridge of high pressure in the Tasman Sea continues to very slowly inch towards the North Island.  It’s this high that is expected to give much of the country are fairly settled Labour Weekend.  

The high is predicted to be well north of central New Zealand, which will leave southern areas more exposed to rain (in the west) and wind (in the south and east).  At this stage the next significant front is predicted for the West Coast on Monday with warm gusty nor’westers for the South Island’s east coast.

The North Island on Labour Day Monday should be mainly settled with a developing westerly.

You can read our extensive Labour Weekend forecast here.