If you needed another sign that an early spring weather pattern has arrived look no further than the long range air flows around New Zealand. The main theme for the next 10 days is westerlies and while they won’t be blowing every day they will be dominant direction and is yet more evidence that winter is fading.

By Wednesday and Thursday this week warm sub-tropical and Australian winds will be blowing over New Zealand creating for warm weather again in the east and north.

“Over the next two weeks there are a number of days where eastern regions in the North Island, like Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne, will be climbing into the late teens and early 20s under sunny skies” says head forecaster Philip Duncan.

The South Island, being closer to Antarctica, isn’t so consistently warm but the east will have bursts of sunny warm weather, mixed in with some cooler days with Christchurch, for example, having highs between 11 and 17 degrees.

“If you’re in Auckland then daytime highs will be fairly consistent in the mid sometimes-upper teens at times but double digit overnight lows means it’s quite likely frosty weather for 2017 in our largest city has finished for the year” says Duncan.

The windy westerlies will also shake up more pollen in the air – expect allergies to come and go over the rest of August (and the months ahead) especially due to the pine tree pollen.

“If you’re still needing some wintry weather inland areas of the South Island around the southern mountains may still be seeing snow and cooler air” says Duncan. “Queenstown has highs of around 5 to 7 degrees this week and overnight lows hovering around freezing with a few days of snow on the ranges”.

But even Central Otago is showing signs of warming up with frosts no longer so frequent and daytime highs getting into double digits at times.

Traditionally the coldest air peaks in July and the first half of August in New Zealand.

– Image / The next 7 days rainfall shows blue areas wetter than usual, red areas drier than usual, areas in white “normal” / US Government.

– WeatherWatch.co.nz