A strong northwesterly airflow lies over New Zealand on Saturday, a cold front moves northwards over the South Island during the day reaching the lower North Island in the evening. This front slowly moves northwards over the North Island on Sunday, mainly towards evening.

Thickening cloud for the western North Island on Saturday, the odd patchy showers spreads into western Waikato northwards from afternoon. Drier in the east with some high cloud. Heavy rain for the West Coast of the South Island eases from afternoon, thunderstorms may make their presence felt about Fiordland. In the east expect morning spots of rain to clear then sunny weather for the afternoon, high’s in Canterbury may even nudge twenty degrees. Marlborough and Nelson stay cloudy all day however with showers or scattered rain, especially late afternoon / evening.

Unsettled for most of the North Island on Sunday, some heavy rain may affect western regions Auckland southwards later in the evening / overnight. High cloud in the east with the odd spot of rain possible spreading from the west, mainly in the evening. Wet for the West Coast of the South Island during the day, rain heavy at times with possible thunderstorms. Drier weather out east with some high cloud and northwesterlies.

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson – WeatherWatch.co.nz