A frosty start to Wednesday in some inland areas but a milder westerly wind flow is about to kick in, lifting overnight lows by several degrees for some areas that have been frosty in recent mornings.

This new airflow kicks in at the coldest point of the year and may help keep winter 2018 warmer than average overall.

We’re now seeing a pattern of highs to our north, encouraging more westerlies and northerlies over New Zealand, along with big lows forming in the Tasman Sea, which encourage a wetter pattern in the west and drier in the east.

Here’s the latest outlook until Monday of next week with Philip Duncan…