Updated 12:35pm — Rain continues to ease across the north eastern North Island this afternoon but showers remain in Auckland, Northland, Waikato, Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty and East Cape / Gisborne.  

Further south and showers continue in the southerly quarter flow across some coastal areas exposed to it.  Southern Wairarapa, Wellington, Southland and the West Coast may all see a few showers this afternoon and evening.  

This Afternoon:
Showers continue in the upper North Island with plenty of cloud. While showers will move into some areas that have been dry so far today, the general trend is for increasing dry spells this afternoon.  In the lower North Island and the exposed coastal parts of the South Island remaining showers will continue today and tonight – but slowly becoming few and far between.

This Weekend:
A few lingering coastal showers on Saturday – drying out towards evening for any Halloween trick or treaters.   
Sunday looks even drier as a ridge of high pressure crosses all of New Zealand to kick off November 1st.

First Week of November:
November 3 and 4 look wet across many parts of New Zealand – including the dry east coast of both islands.  Most rain will be in central, western areas by the looks of the rain models but a southerly change will also sweep up the eastern coastline with a burst of rain and showers.   We’ll keep you posted.

– Image / File, Jeanie Griffin
– WeatherWatch.co.nz