A broad high moves slowly over New Zealand on Friday and Saturday,followed by a front advancing over the country from Sunday night into early next week. While the high will bring more settled conditions than we've seen over the past few weeks, it will be a 'dirty high' with plenty of moisture at low levels spoiling the blue skies in some areas.
"As the mercury climbs with high pressure moving in, it'll be a fine and possibly frosty start on Friday for the upper North Island, but a change to northeasterlies on Saturday will push isolated showers across the area, including Auckland," said MetService Meteorologist Rob Kerr. "The sunniest spots for the weekend will be Christchurch and Nelson, with Gisborne and Napier/Hastings catching up on Saturday as the remaining showers clear out of those eastern regions," he added.
"West Coasters should also enjoy the sun on Friday, ahead of showery conditions expected to develop Saturday and persist into Sunday," said Kerr. "With all the weather caught up in the west, conditions will be excellent for most of the South Island ski fields. This will be welcome news for those heading to Queenstown for the start of the Audi Quattro Winter Games on Friday."
"Also starting on Friday is the Lux Festival of Light in Wellington, and the weather is playing its part: even the wind takes a couple of days off. However, northerlies will be back blowing through the Capital on Sunday and could even bring a shower or two," commented Kerr.
Looking beyond the weekend, a front brings rain to western parts of the South Island on Sunday night, and to the North Island late Monday or Tuesday. An easing southwest flow follows this front, ahead of another ridge moving in towards the end of next week.
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