Heavy rain off and on for the West Coast and some Australia smoke in our skies, otherwise many places have a fairly dry and average week ahead.

There will be a slight cool down around Wednesday and Thursday but by Friday and the weekend many places are back to sub-tropical winds – or a nor’west flow from Australia.

The North Island and northern and eastern sides of the South Island look especially dry but Southland and Otago will get a few spits spilling over from the west – as might the foothills of Canterbury and into the Southern Alps. Snow will also be falling on the mountain tops in the south with some heavy falls.