An improvement starts to develop for the lower and western South Island today and also some western parts of the North Island as a ridge manages to budge it’s way in, extending out from a high in the Tasman Sea.

Thursday sees this ridge extend over much of New Zealand bringing mainly sunny and settled weather. Temperatures on Thursday will start to feel quite summer like for many getting into the low to mid 20’s across many parts of the country, perhaps even late 20’s for inland parts of the lower South Island.

Friday is still looking like a fairly reasonable day for most although a northwesterly airflow does build across the lower South Island ahead of a front which moves onto Southland later in the evening or overnight. This front continues northwards on Saturday reaching the lower North Island later in the evening.

Weatherwatch.co.nz