New Zealand has a few weather highlights coming up but nothing too extreme. In fact we have an uptick in high pressure, lighter winds and warmer and drier than average weather too.

We just wanted to quickly bullet point some of the main weather features you may be interested in:

• Easterly winds kick in on Tuesday and linger until late this week.
• Calm inland with colder nights, morning fog patches possible (esp Tuesday/Weds).
• Sub-tropical NE winds possible this weekend with some northern rain possible (may be falling mostly at sea)
• Colder than average nights for inland and northern parts of the North Island next few nights
• Warmer than average days in almost every part of the country for the entire week
• Some places several degrees above normal this week
• NZ is now entering what should traditionally be the coldest 4 weeks of the year (we’re at the complete opposite time to ‘peak summer’ now)
• Westerlies return next week but look weak over most regions
• High pressure may well come in for the final days of July (but a small low in the mix too)
• There is a lack of frosts for this time of the year
• No severe frosts in the forecast
• A lack of lower level snowfall for the ski fields and almost no snow for the tops
• Drier than average almost everywhere in NZ this week except coastal eastern areas between Gisborne and Masterton.
• A potential weak low around northern NZ on the last day of July but some models suggest it may ‘bunny hop’ over northern regions. One to watch but doesn’t look severe.
• A potential brief polar southerly for July 31/Aug 1 (not locked in).

– July 31 weather map / MetOcean, GFS

– WeatherWatch.co.nz