Ok high, you’ve done your worst – now let’s see you transform into a big friendly giant, rather than an angry cold southerly!  An intense high pressure system remains out to our west and while it’s spreading settled, calmer, weather over the South Island the windy ‘squash zone’ between the high (west) and smaller low (east) means it’s still windy over the North Island.

Its especially windy from Taranaki to Wellington and in between, and eastern/central areas of the North Island.

In one more day, let’s say around noon Saturday, the high will be pushing into these windy areas of the North Island and calming things down – yes Taranaki, the winds will finally ease overnight and into Saturday!

By Sunday this big high – that on Thursday helped bring 160km/h winds to Banks Peninsula, brief snow to downtown Wellington and snow on the hills near Hamilton – will be sitting smack bang over the entire nation bringing lighter winds – and warmer weather. “What cold blast?”

The mornings may still be cold – and maybe even a little frosty in sheltered places – but generally speaking the next few days see warmth gradually coming back as the high shifts from being near Tasmania to being north of New Zealand.

By Monday this same high will lie NORTH of New Zealand – and that will help direct down sub-tropical air for some regions and mild west to nor’west winds for many others.

The many personalities of one high pressure system!

(Above) FRIDAY’s 12noon air pressure map shows the dominant high to the west and the small low to the east – with windy weather still crossing the North Island with showers/snow flurries.

(Above) Fast forward two more days (Noon Sunday) and the high that brought the cold snap is now bringing us settled weather – and a warmer breeze returns already to Southland, Otago and Canterbury.

– Maps / Weathermap

– WeatherWatch.co.nz