Weather Workshop: 5 day forecast for NZ

The long range forecast from Weather Workshop for all of New Zealand to midnight Sunday.

Situation: An anticyclone east of the country is drifting away. A frontal zone is moving onto the South Island today. The front should affect North Island areas in a much weakened state tomorrow as a narrow ridge spreads onto the South Island from the west. During Friday the ridge moves further north as broad trough moves into the Tasman Sea. The weekend sees the trough affecting New Zealand and is preceded by strong northwesterlies and followed by a colder southwest flow.

NORTHLAND, AUCKLAND, COROMANDEL PENINSULA, BAY of PLENTY/ROTORUA: WAIKATO, WAITOMO, TAUMARANUI, TARANAKI, TAIHAPE, TAUPO, WANGANUI and MANAWATU: A mix of cloudy and fine periods for much of today with a few showers from Northland to Coromandel Peninsula. Cloud thickening tonight with showers spreading to most places these persisting thru tomorrow then a gradual clearing working north from the south and west. Becoming fine Friday for most apart from a few showers lingering at first from Taranaki to Northland. Cloud increasing during Saturday with late showers in the north and west then rain becoming general Sunday.

WELLINGTON: Showers developing tonight and persisting until tomorrow afternoon then becoming mostly fine. Fine for much of Friday. Cloudy Saturday with strengthening northerlies and late patchy rain. Widespread rain Sunday, winds turning southerly later.

GISBORNE, HAWKES BAY and WAIRARAPA: Fine today and at first tomorrow then brief rain. Becoming fine early Friday. Mainly fine Saturday but with high cloud. Rain working north Sunday, northwesterlies giving way to colder southwest winds.

NELSON: Rain about the western ranges spreading elsewhere later today then persisting for a time early tomorrow. Skies then clearing from the west. Fine on Friday. Cloud increasing Saturday with northerlies and some late rain in the west. A period of widespread rain Sunday.

BULLER, WESTLAND and FIORDLAND: Rain becoming widespread today with a few heavy falls expected. Conditions easing to showers south of the glaciers tonight. Tomorrow skies clearing but cloud returning towards evening about Fiordland. Cloud increasing Friday with drizzly rain later to the fiords. Widespread rain for much of the weekend with heavy falls then easing to showers as far north as Westland later.

MARLBOROUGH and CANTERBURY: Rain developing in the Alps today, elsewhere cloudy periods. Tomorrow brief early rain then mainly fine inland but a few showers may persist in some coastal places. Mostly fine Friday. Saturday sees high cloud thickening with northwesterlies then rain spreading north about the main divide. Rain easing to showers Sunday as colder southwesterlies work north. Expect snow to the ranges.

OTAGO and SOUTHLAND: Rain about the western ranges spreading east later today and at first tomorrow then gradually becoming fine. On Friday dry in most places with high cloud increasing. Some late rain likely later in the west. Rain, widespread during Saturday then turning colder early Sunday with showers and a change to southwest winds. Snow to the ranges.

CHATHAM ISLANDS: Today and tomorrow a mix of fine and cloudy periods. Rain developing Friday with northerly winds. Strengthening northwesterlies Saturday with a few showers. Rain setting in Sunday.

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