For Tuesday a milder nor’west flow covers much of New Zealand ahead of a cold blast for Wednesday. In fact colder air is already pushing into Southland, Otago and parts of the West Coast and by noon Wednesday most of the country will be under a colder air flow. 

By Thursday we’re back to a slightly milder westerly at some point before Friday’s next big surge of gales, heavy western rain, heavy mountain snow and sun often in the east.

Over the weekend the southerly continues over the nation but shifts more to eastern New Zealand.