The warm sub-tropical air is about to be kicked eastwards and will be replaced by a colder southerly for NZ, sparking isolated thunderstorms, squalls and some heavy downpours over the next day or two.

The coldest air arrives in the South Island on Wednesday and into the North Island by Wednesday night and Thursday. This is the same southerly that is currently affecting the south east corner of Australia.

High pressure will expand across eastern and southern Australia this week – and will reach NZ on Friday and Saturday, but a few showers with another south east surge are expected in Canterbury on Sunday.

We have your New Zealand / Australia forecast out to Sunday.

☔️⚠️The heaviest rain is slooowly sliding eastwards…

9am, 10am, 11am maps below.

Please note – more intense downpours could form behind this main front during the afternoon (isolated thunder too).

Track @MetService radar here: https://t.co/sZ6VGec556 pic.twitter.com/ZLEim2xyzr

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) May 8, 2023