Here’s what is making the weather headlines today.

MAINLY SETTLED TODAY AND MOST OF THURSDAY

Conditions for New Zealand are mainly settled today and for most of the Thursday thanks to high pressure covering the country. We have showers for the eastern North Island though, clearing Wairarapa this evening then further north on Thursday. Elsewhere is mainly dry with areas of low cloud or fog morning and night, sunny spells by day.

Then finally we have a cold front push onto the lower South Island late afternoon or evening or Thursday bringing rain or showers, showers / rain pushes up into Canterbury overnight. Totals are as follows for this cold front:

Invercargill – 3 to 5mm

Tuatapere – 5 to 10mm

Alexandra – 1 to 3mm

Dunedin – 1 to 3mm

Timaru – 1 to 3mm

Methven – 5 to 10mm

Rakaia – 3 to 5mm

Christchurch – 1 to 3mm

Kaikoura – 5 to 10mm

SOUTHERLY QUARTER WINDS BRISK TO STRONG ON FRIDAY

Southerly quarter winds for the east of the South Island are brisk to strong about the coast first thing in the morning on Friday before easing. Strong southerlies develop through Cook Strait in the morning, gusting to gale at times then easing at night.

WEEKEND LOW IN THE TASMAN SEA

This weekend we have a low pressure system in the Tasman Sea, a front flinging out from the low pushes in to the western side of the country, at this stage mainly the West Coast of the South Island bringing some wet weather. Some models show rain or showers being more widespread, this is something we’ll have to track as we get closer to the weekend.