High pressure is more dominant and significant this week across New Zealand but as it moves through it will bring a couple surges of windy westerlies, as powerful storms remain over the Southern Ocean. The unsettled westerly driven spring continues, and as we said back in late winter these spring winds are likely to continue later this season thanks to large storms continuing well south of the country.

Let’s get into the forecast for Monday to start with…

RAIN:
Most places are dry today but a cold front moves into the south-west corner of the South Island with a few showers spilling over into Southland and rain moving into the southern half of West Coast with heavy falls.

WIND:
With high pressure centred near Northland and the upper North Island winds are lighter there with a windier nor’west flow over the lower North Island and much of the South Island. Severe gales are even possible for a time inland around the South Island’s main ranges and mountains.

TEMPERATURES:
Most places are average to warmer than average today, for early November – and milder than the weekend was, especially for the south.

WEEK AHEAD
That southern cold front moves up the South Island on Tuesday with rain moving up the West Coast and weakening, and a few showers moving up the east coast. That band of rain or showers moves into the lower North Island during the afternoon or overnight. Much of the North Island is dry otherwise.

On Wednesday and Thursday high pressure expands over much of the country and then departs to the east – destroying most of that cold front as it moves into the upper North Island, so may only bring a few showers here and there and cloudy areas, with also some inland afternoon downpours or thunderstorms possible for the upper North Island on Thursday. Windy nor’westers also return over the South Island and lower North Island as the high pressure moves away on Thursday and Friday.

---

THIS WEEKEND:
Windy westerlies and western & southern showers continue this weekend as yet more cold fronts move through fuelled by powerful storms over the Southern Ocean, centred near Antarctica and stretching northwards into the NZ area. Driest and warmest in the east of NZ.

As always drill down deeper with your hyper-local, hourly, FREE 10 day forecasts from WeatherWatch.co.nz – or download the FREE WeatherWatch App.