A low that has been affecting the upper North Island for the past few days moves away to the east on Thursday meanwhile a northerly airflow develops over the South Island.

Early heavy rain eases about Auckland (mainly in the north), Great Barrier Island and Coromandel on Thursday to showers which then clear later in the day. Showers ease elsewhere about northeastern parts of the North Island and sunny spells break through from afternoon.

The southwestern corner of the North Island has a mainly sunny day, northerly winds pick up through Cook Strait overnight.

For the South Island it’s a mainly settled picture after another frosty start. A northerly airflow does build but it’s still sunny for most, some cloud does start to creep northwards along South Westland’s coastline and heavy rain moves into Fiordland overnight with gusty northeast winds along the coast.

– Aaron Wilkinson, WeatherWatch.co.nz