Weather conditions this afternoon are beginning to ease following a stormy 24 hours across the nation. 

Temperatures have dropped following the somewhat balmy conditions of the week with Hastings and Napier down 10 degrees on this time yesterday thanks to a southerly change.

Strong southerlies remain in the Capital with gales on exposed hills.

It’s showery in Auckland but still relatively mild – however it’s already about 3 degrees cooler than at 10pm last night.

Kaikoura has a near gale southerly with strong southerlies in Christchurch too.  A more westerly flow is affecting Dunedin.

A high pressure system is spreading in for the weekend bringing mainly calm and mostly sunny weather to the country under a gentle south easterly flow.  The wind direction favours sunnier weather in northern and western facing districts but tends to bring cooler, cloudier weather to those in the east.

However an approaching front and low pressure system (for early next week) will result in a westerly flow over some of the South Island – which may create sunny conditions for those in the east.

Frosts are likely in sheltered places.