Northwesterly winds with areas of increasing cloud, a few spits of rain may make their way through later in the night.

Lower North Island

Northwesterly winds strengthen this evening with mostly cloudy skies, a few showers move in overnight. Along the east coast expect mainly dry conditions with plenty of high cloud. Northwesterly winds about Kapiti, Wellington and Wairarapa will gust to gale force at times. Possibly even severe gale overnight for Wellington and about Cook Strait.

Upper South Island

Rain becoming heavy this evening on the West Coast with thunderstorms likely, torrential downpours of rain are possible, winds strong from the northwest. High cloud out east with strong to gale northwesterly winds, winds may gust to severe gale in inland areas. About the Canterbury foothills rain is likely overnight spilling over from the west. A period of rain will spread to the coast also later in the night.

Lower South Island

Strong to gale force northwesterly winds, some brief rain spreads to the east coast for a time this evening then clears around midnight with winds easing overnight. Rain, heavy and thundery at times in inland parts of Otago and Southland eases overnight. On the West Coast expect heavy thundery downpours to ease later with winds then easing also.

WeatherWatch.co.nz