Despite two fronts expected in the South Island over the next day or two only a small amount of rainfall is expected across New Zealand, with the exception of the West Coast in the South Island.

Rainfall will be especially heavy around Mount Aspiring National Park into the afternoon. After such a long dry spell watch for rapidly rising rivers and possible slips.

There will be some ‘spillover’ into the east and south of the South Island but totals won’t be much – and for some it will just be a few spits that doesn’t even wet the ground.

Meanwhile the North Island looks mostly dry this weekend – but there are a few coastal morning drizzle patches possible in the north east on Saturday and a few isolated inland downpours on Sunday. The South Island rain bands are expected to crumble and fall apart as they move north (read WHY here).

The slightly changing weather means larger swells coming in around Tasmania and towards New Zealand – please keep this in mind with the warmer weather and sea temperatures as stronger rips and currents may form gradually in western and southern New Zealand beaches.

– InfoGraphics by The Weather Company (an IBM business and Official WeatherWatch.co.nz business partner)

– WeatherWatch.co.nz