A cold front moves northwards over the South Island on Thursday meanwhile conditions are mainly settled further north.

Mostly sunny for the North Island on Thursday, some morning cloud in the southwest.

Heavy rain pushes northwards along the West Coast of the South Island during the day, clearing at night. Rain moves into Southland during the morning with a southwest change, moving up to Banks Peninsula by evening although easing to showers by then. Sunny for Nelson and Marlborough.

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson – WeatherWatch.co.nz