Here’s what is making the weather headlines today….

❄️🏂#Snow is back in the forecast late this week & weekend for the South Island's #alpine areas.🏔️

Snow levels may get down to only a few hundred metres.

🎥We'll have more details in our weather video tomorrow.https://t.co/D35ySCkVqG shows snow symbols when snow is likely. pic.twitter.com/c0n7dztJXX

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) September 19, 2023

Great question Daniel. There are 3 reasons for this:

1️⃣🌊Windy weather over the Tasman Sea adds sea spray into the air
2️⃣🤧Windy weather creates pollen/dust
3️⃣🔥Perhaps most likely, back-burning in New South Wales (which made Sydney very smokey a few days ago) now reaching NZ https://t.co/cwVVB9oran

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) September 18, 2023

It's hard to believe but after all that flooding earlier this year, Hawke's Bay is now fast drying out.

Rain is spreading up NZ later this week & weekend. The eastern NI will see totals shift around in the coming days, but latest estimates look 'healthy' for those needing it. pic.twitter.com/VjKhXhp0mh

— WeatherWatch.co.nz (@WeatherWatchNZ) September 19, 2023

A REASONABLE DAY

It’s been a bit unreasonable lately, very unreasonable in terms of the wind. Today though we calm down a little with some nice sunshine to be had. Northwesterlies about the interior of the South Island east of the Main Divide may be a bit breezy still but it’s better than what we have had, winds through Cook Strait and about the lower North Island are gusty.

The West Coast picks up on rain or showers.

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WARM TOMORROW, NNW STRENGTHENS

Temperatures for eastern regions are warm tomorrow, reaching into the mid twenties, late twenties not as likely but it is possible for the eastern North Island further inland away from the coast.

A north to northwesterly airflow is going to strengthen over the South Island, any watches and warnings issued by Metservice can be seen here.

Very heavy rain moves into South Westland overnight as a front closes in from the southwest. Heavy rain moves northwards up the West Coast during Thursday and Friday, for more details please see our daily video presented by Philip Duncan, released around midday.

The upper and eastern North Island has the best weather tomorrow in terms of warmth, sun and light winds.

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RAIN OUTLOOK

Over the next seven days it looks like most of New Zealand is going to see average to wetter than average rainfall.

The West Coast sees higher than average rainfall thanks to our front moving in overnight Wednesday then slowly pushing northwards during Thursday and Friday.

The same front reaches the North Island this weekend and may re-intensify with a chance of some heavy rain as indicated by the blue colouring in the image below.

The precipitation percentage of normal map below runs through to Tuesday 26th September. Blue coloring means that part of the country is likely to see more rainfall than would normally be expected at this time of year, red means less rainfall is expected and white is an average amount of rainfall. The more intense either red or blue then either scenario is more true.