A large high pressure system sits over much of the country on the last day of the year, while an easterly airflow dominates conditions in the North Island – meaning a mostly rain-free evening for festivities to see in 2016!

This means the South Island stays mainly sunny, as some morning cloud clears for the east coast, everywhere from Canterbury northwards.
Winds from the east in the east, and west in the west.

Over the North Island, sunny areas and high cloud thickens from the low to the north of the country, as winds come in from the east.
There could be an isolated shower or two in the afternoon about the Waikato, Taranaki (mainly in the north) and perhaps the Central North Island, though these showers will clear in the evening.
Late cloud thickens about Northland and Auckland, with showers pushing into Northland’s east coast in the evening.
There’s rain for Northland overnight and into the start of 2016, with heavy falls possible by dawn.

– Aaron Wilkinson & Drew Chappell, WeatherWatch.co.nz