Today is the Winter Solstice but the shortest day of the year in New Zealand won’t be especially cold, especially in the upper North Island where nor’east winds and clouds are building ahead of a sub-tropical low.

The worst of the wind and rain will cross the North Island overnight tonight and on Thursday – easing later in the day. 

By Thursday and into Friday the heavy rain and gusty easterly quarter winds drops into the South Island and meets a snowy change moving up the Southern Alps.

Friday may well be calmer with plenty of dry spells int he North Island as the centre of this large low comes through.

However by Friday the low tracks east of New Zealand and our forecast becomes very typical for this time of the year – windy, colder, sou’westers and showers for many places.

Sunday looks calmer.