Make the most of the calmer weather – next week is looking very different. WeatherWatch.co.nz has today revised the width of the high pressure belt currently over New Zealand and Australia and we now estimate it stretches over 11,000km from west to east.

Today this high is at its maximum width – in the days ahead it shrinks and crosses NZ allowing for a warmer sub-tropical breeze to develop.

But next week this belt of high pressure is replaced by perhaps an equally enormous area of low pressure. It will take a few days to affect the North Island next week but by later next week we may be seeing some severe weather and wintry conditions developing.