Wednesday’s weather is much calmer compared to previous days as a large high pressure zone drifts across the top of the country.

RAIN:
There isn’t much wet weather around today although light showers continue in western parts of New Zealand. Most other places are dry or mainly dry.

WIND:
Winds are also lighter today around the country, with a light south-west breeze in the north, for places like Auckland, but in the lower South Island a westerly breeze will develop for some.

TEMPERATURES:
That westerly breeze in the south will see temperatures lifting further today – and more so over the next couple of days as those winds start to crank up. Many will have a cool to cold start today.

NEXT 7 DAYS AHEAD:
The high pressure zone to the north will track eastwards this week and that will do two things – it will pull down sub-tropical or milder winds, and it will also usher in windier conditions. These winds will push up NZ’s temperatures as we head through Thursday and Friday. Friday will have subtropical winds over the North Island, gale to severe gale nor’westers from Cook Strait and through parts of the upper South Island, with heavy rain on the West Coast and lighter westerlies further south. That rain from the Tasman Sea then moves into the North Island on Saturday while a cooler change will move into the South Island. By the time we get to Sunday high pressure is moving back in and yet again mild nor’westers build over the South Island.

Next week, at this early stage, looks to kick off with nor’west breezes with more spring-like windy westerlies from Tuesday onwards, possibly due to powerful storms down near Antarctica, although it’s not yet locked in.

🌊🌀One week today – now that's a doozy of a storm in the Southern Ocean!

Not often you see a storm globally with 918hPa as the air pressure. (Not locked in this far out. If it happens it will likely bring windy weather to NZ)

GFS map by Weatherzone, Graphic by WeatherWatch. pic.twitter.com/jziZZlmdWC

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) August 20, 2024

#BigPicture for #Wednesday & #Thursday: Wax on, wax off.

Incoming high pressure then outgoing high pressure as it tracks over the upper North Island, followed by a rain band. Milder westerlies and northerlies on the way! pic.twitter.com/X7XUtbQlwU

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) August 19, 2024

💧Back to a westerly flow rain-wise (9pm Tue to 9pm Thu) pic.twitter.com/Xp5H7xgC0e

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) August 19, 2024

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