The weather forecast this weekend is fairly typical for winter but, while changeable and a bit cool, it’s not going to be like previous weekends with widespread severe weather.

Saturday sees a weak cold front cross the country bringing a burst of showers and a return to milder westerlies. It may not feel warm, but should be warmer than the colder air that covered the nation this past week.

In fact north of New Zealand this weekend we again see a massive belt of high pressure stretching thousands of kilometres from west to east, almost non-stop from Perth to well east of New Zealand.

This helps encourage milder westerlies, rather than bitterly cold polar southerlies.  For that to happen the highs need to stretch north to south and not east to west.

As we head into Sunday this westerly flow increases over New Zealand – and most main centres in the nation will be sunny, mild and dry.

But not everyone will be dry on Sunday.  

Another cold front will be approaching the South Island in the afternoon and this will see rain setting in along the West Coast starting in Fiordland and reaching Hokitika and Greymouth during the afternoon and evening with heavy falls. 

The nor’westers will also crank up in the east pushing temperatures back into the teens during the day and probably above zero at night. It won’t be hot – but it should finally flush out the cold Antarctic air left over from last weekend.

Most places should have a sunny Sunday, but lingering coastal clouds may affect a few here and there – and of course the incoming front to the West Coast will see clouds thickening around there too.

Noon Saturday:

Noon Sunday:

– Maps / Weathermap

– WeatherWatch.co.nz