National News

Summer continues to back-fire as more cloud, wind and low temperatures affect a number of regions yet again - but WeatherWatch.co.nz says there's still enough time for things to warm up further...but only just.

December was marked by easterlies, dragging in cloud, slightly lowering temps and bring in that rain - yes, most of you remember that rain.  January saw those easterlies die out and instead conditions shifted to more spring/autumn like patterns.

An earthquake measuring 5.7 has shaken the lower North Island awake this morning.

The quake struck at 7am, and was centred in the South Taranaki Bight, 90km south of Opunake and 160km northwest of Wellington, at a depth of 200km.

The high that is currently stretching over New Zealand will help prevent a tropical storm from coming our way for the long weekend, but it does come with a catch - cloud.

A typical autumn could be on its way as the La Nina behind the extreme weather in recent months starts to fade away.

Niwa's seasonal climate outlook for February to April has forecast near-normal temperatures and rainfalls for most parts of the country, with only the west and south of the South Island set to get lower than average rainfalls and above average temperatures.

Updated 8:44am --- A cold front that moved up the South Island yesterday ran out of steam far sooner than expected as the Southern Alps and a large high over the North Island started to tear it apart.  Today its remnants will scatter across the North Island in the form of cloud and the odd shower or drizzle patch.

Country99TV has New Zealand's only true long range weather forecast every weeknight at 8:20pm.  This 8 minute forecast is entirely focused on agribusiness - and we look well beyond NZ, as far west as the Indian Ocean and as far north as the Equator, to see what air pressure systems are coming - to help farmers and growers be better prepared for our ever changing weather.

New Zealand's most prominent group of global warming sceptics has received at least $84,000 from an American think-tank which has been backed by fossil fuel interests and accused of "climate change denialism".

The Chicago-based Heartland Institute paid the New Zealand Climate Science Coalition grants of US$25,000 ($30,800) and US$45,000 in in 2007.

nzherald.co.nz and Philip Duncan from WeatherWatch.co.nz bring you the latest on the weakening southerly which is expected to bring more cloud than showers for the North Island on Thursday.

At the same time the weather in the South Island will improve, especially inland areas like Queenstown.

Our disturbed summer weather pattern continues as a low in the Southern Ocean again fires a cold, wet, windy change up the country.

The winds are being generated between the low and fairly strong high over the North Island.