High pressure is dominating the weather this week bringing cool nights but mainly pleasant days with plenty of sunshine (generally speaking) over New Zealand.

By the time we reach Friday a nor’wester will be developing over the lower South Island and by this weekend we expect that wind to go nationwide and become strong, possibly gale, in exposed areas (like Cook Strait and the mountain ranges).

Rain looks heaviest this weekend on the West Coast and up to Taranaki – by the end of Sunday much of western NZ looks wet while most eastern areas look mild but windy.

Overnight lows in the upper North Island will be 15 degrees warmer this weekend than they were a week ago.