Here’s what is making the weather headlines today….

UPPER NORTH ISLAND WARMEST

A cold front moved onto the lower South Island yesterday evening, this moves off the upper South Island this morning and onto the lower North Island. This front brings a few showers (more so in the east) and cool temperatures.

Western Northland has a few showers moving in off the Tasman for much of today (perhaps Auckland too this morning), besides that the upper North Island has sun and the warmest temperatures around the country getting into the late teens.

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SETTLED ON THURSDAY

Finally a high covers most of the country on Thursday bringing settled weather, and plenty of sun too although the West Coast has a bit of cloud and a few areas around the periphery of the North Island.

It may be cold to start especially for inland parts but a good day should ensue.

NORTHERLIES BUILD ON FRI, LOW IN THE TASMAN FROM SAT

A northerly airflow strengthens over the South Island on Friday with wet weather due in the west, drier and warmer weather in the east. Meanwhile the North Island has a ridge of high pressure with mostly sunny weather, some cloud in the northeast and southwest, morning fog for the upper North Island.

A cold front which is behind the strengthening northerly airflow forms into an area of low pressure in the Tasman Sea on Saturday. This low hangs around in the Tasman till Monday then crosses over the South Island on Tuesday.

While the low mentioned above sits in the Tasman there is another large high out to our east, this drags down a northeasterly airflow over the country. Over the course of Sunday and Monday a front sweeps down from the northwest over the North Island and South Island, spinning out of our low, much like our last couple of fronts have.

Yes there may be some heavy rain in areas exposed to the east (eastern Northland through to East Cape, possibly Nelson also) but at this stage we don’t see signs of the rain being torrential. Although with sodden ground already, more rain isn’t exactly what we need.

There are hints in long range models of a low moving in from the north mid to late next week, this has the potential of some heavier rain for the North Island so it will be something to keep an eye on. That is a while away though so no guarantees that will occur but we’ll keep an eye on it.

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