The winter solstice has come and gone, and from here on out, the days get longer and the nights shorter – even though it hasn’t felt like much of a winter for many parts of the country!

The next 3 days see a high pressure system continue to hold out against a rain bringing low, but western areas of the country will still see some significant wet spells at times, and the winds start to pick up in places too.

Wednesday

Blue: Heavy spells of rain on the West Coast of the South Island, and the upper North Island

Purple: Northerly winds through Cook Strait and perhaps about inland Canterbury may be gusty at times during the day.

Thursday

Blue: Heavy spells of rain on the West Coast of the South Island and parts of the eastern North Island

Friday

Purple: Strong southwesterly winds about the east coast of the South Island

A ridge of high pressure moves in on Friday, meaning most of the country stays relatively calm, settled and clear heading into the weekend.

– Please note, the idea behind this update is to focus on the main weather highlights, which is why not all regions are mentioned. 

For specific 10 day information for your city, town, rural community or island please see the 1000 forecasts on our homepage!

– Aaron Wilkinson & Drew Chappell, WeatherWatch.co.nz