It’s the news many of us are wanting to hear – the stormy weather that has blasted many parts of New Zealand for a week now is showing signs it’s weakening.

While gale force winds continue to reach as far north as Auckland city this afternoon the violent and damaging gusts we saw yesterday have now started to ease.

Yesterday afternoon gusts reached over 100km/h in Auckland, this afternoon they’re just over 70km/h.

The common wind gusts across many North Island centres this afternoon is 75km/h, again for many that is down on yesterday afternoon.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says the winds will very slowly ease from the north over the next few days – meaning a fairly positive forecast for the North Island and eastern areas of both islands.

We’re not out of the woods yet though – Southland is still being hit hardest today with gale force westerlies and gusts to 85km/h.  It isn’t warm either.  Invercargill has just 5 degrees this hour.

WeatherWatch.co.nz head weather analyst Philip Duncan says the storm last weekend changed the weather pattern over New Zealand in the same way an injury affects your body.  “Like an injury to the body the storm last week caused the stormy roaring 40s to swell up over New Zealand.  With that storm now long gone it’s taking a few days for the swelling to come down, but we are seeing those isosbars drifting back towards the Southern Ocean where they should lie”.

MetService is also indicating that conditions are easing.  

In their latest severe weather outlook most main centres are outside the areas they consider are most likely to have severe weather warnings.

The West Coast of the South Island is in for some heavy rain this weekend and warnings may be issued.  Wellington is the largest centre that is at risk of severe weather, but MetService still rates the chance of severe gales for Wellington as low.