Today’s outlook will be our final look at how the weather is doing for New Years Eve.

We have anticyclonic conditions over the South Island and an easterly airflow over the North Island, this easterly airflow builds as the day goes on especially in the far north due to a low pressure system to the north of the country.

For the upper North Island we have sunny areas and some high cloud, winds from the east becoming breezy after midday for some. Cloud thickens about Auckland and Northland late afternoon or evening. Patchy showers move into Northland in the evening then expect rain overnight with heavy falls possible by dawn on Friday mainly in the east, rain may move into Auckland by dawn on Friday also.

The Waikato, Taranaki and perhaps parts of the Central North Island may see a few isolated showers develop this afternoon then mostly clearing in the evening. A chance though the odd shower may hang about parts of Taranaki for a while into the evening.

The east coast of the North Island is fairly cloudy although the Wairarapa sees some sun after midday, southerly winds tend easterly in the afternoon. Chance of a light shower or two where skies are cloudy otherwise mainly dry. Any morning cloud clears regions in the west from Taranaki through to Kapiti then expect mainly sunny weather with southerly breezes, high cloud moves down from the north in the evening. Wellington sees morning cloud clear to mainly sunny conditions, southerlies tend easterly in the evening.

The South Island sees morning cloud in Canterbury, Marlborough and Nelson then sunny areas breaking through in the afternoon, southerlies tend east to northeast during the morning. Parts of Nelson and Marlborough mainly inland may not see cloud break away till later in the day. Southland and Otago are mainly sunny with light winds tending onshore in the afternoon about coastal areas.

About the Glaciers northwards along the West Coast expect cloudy areas and perhaps a light shower or two during the day then clearing in the evening, areas of sun further south along the coast and mainly dry. Winds from the northwest.

WeatherWatch.co.nz