Northwesterlies strengthen over New Zealand today with a front moving onto the lower South Island overnight.

RainWatch is a series during the weekdays, giving a snapshot about where around New Zealand areas of precipitation may affect your day.

Chance of a shower this morning for the upper North Island in the west otherwise mainly dry for much of the North Island.

Cloudy for the West Coast of the South Island with showers, rain moves onto South Westland around midnight with heavy falls then pushing northwards.

From Southland through to Canterbury a few spots of rain are possible overnight, mainly dry today however.

WeatherWatch.co.nz

Image – Wednesday 4pm, 11th January 2017 rain / MSLP map – weathermap.co.nz