The spring pattern continues across New Zealand bringing a few weak fronts. However this weekend the spring pattern will strengthen - with more wind and cloud but also pushing in some hot winds to the east for the official start of summer on Saturday.
 
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- nzherald.co.nz / WeatherWatch.co.nz
http://www.weatherwatch.co.nz/...e-with-philip-duncan

Updated 9:37am --- Rain is back in the forecast - both this weekend and again early to mid next week - but it may not be enough for some regions which have seriously started to dry out.
 
WeatherWatch.co.nz reports that eastern and northern regions of both islands are drying out fast with fronts in recent weeks delivering very little rain. Wednesday morning was a good example, with a weak area of rain passing over Auckland, Northland and Waikato and delivering less than a couple millimetres for most.
 
However Mother Nature doesn't operate on the same calendar as you and I do - so even though most of us celebrate the start of summer this weekend, the weather pattern stays "hooked on spring" for a little bit longer yet, according to head weather analyst Philip Duncan.
 
"Being hooked on the spring weather pattern at the start of summer isn't uncommon and it comes with positives and negatives. The two main negatives being windier, drier, weather for the east - not good for farming - and the other being cloudier and cooler for many of our more populated regions, like Auckland and Waikato".
 
However Mr Duncan says there are positives - which we will receive this weekend. "The same negatives can be turned around into positives. The hot, dry, westerlies will bump daytime highs into the mid to late 20s for some eastern areas this weekend while at the same time the gloomier, cloudier, weather in the west will produce heavy rain for the West Coast which may spillover into other regions of both islands".
 
WeatherWatch.co.nz says while there will be areas of rain, wind and heat this weekend there will also be plenty of cloud and dry weather - and those winds from the west will crank up.
 
Not all regions will receive rain in the next few days - but even the 10 day forecasts are now showing rain back in the picture in a weeks time for northern areas, like Bay of Plenty, which currently has a 60% chance of rain one week from today.

"We are still expecting a mixture of weather this summer" says Philip Duncan. "It's important to remember that true summer weather is January, February and often March - and while those months can be very hot and calm we can also get some tropical and Tasman rain makers - we just need the highs to clear from our west and north for this to happen, so keep checking the long-range maps".
 
In a nutshell
* Heavy rain for the West Coast this weekend
* A healthy amount of rain will push into western and northern parts of the North Island on Sunday - with some spillover into the east.
* More Tasman Sea rain moves in around Tuesday and Wednesday, again for northern and western NZ with the chance of a few showers in the east
* Week 2 of December looks dry again


- WeatherWatch.co.nz
http://www.weatherwatch.co.nz/content/rain-back-forecast

Tomorrow a northwesterly airflow will build over the South Island during the day pushing an anticyclone currently to the west of New Zealand northwards.


 
These northwesterly winds are likely to be quite strong about the lower South Island in inland areas from morning then spreading into inland Canterbury, Marlborough and Cook Strait from late afternoon or evening, northwesterlies may rise to gale force at times in exposed inland areas. Christchurch is more likely to have a northeasterly that won’t die out till evening when a northwest breeze then pushes in.
 
Rain develops about Fiordland in the morning and spreads north along the West Coast during the day with heavy falls at times. A few showers will affect much of the lower South Island during the morning also clearing in the afternoon, showers may persist in western parts of Central Otago till evening then clearing.
 
For the North Island the weather isn’t going to be as bad, expect westerly breezes with a mix of sunny areas and some cloud during the day. Hawkes Bay and Gisborne will have northeasterlies during the day however.
 
Sunday sees northwesterlies ease over the South Island, expect warm temperatures out east with some high cloud, some cloud and rain still for the West Coast. North Islanders will see increasing cloud with showers moving in between Taranaki and Wellington around midday then moving northwards to reach Auckland at night.

Winds will be quite strong from the northwest about Wellington and Wairarapa in the morning on Sunday, brisk westerlies spread to most North Island areas during the morning.
 
Homepage image / 1am, 2nd December wind map - weathermap.co.nz
 

WeatherWatch.co.nz
http://www.weatherwatch.co.nz/...ming-northwesterlies

While windy and warm temperatures are expected for eastern parts of both islands on Sunday, a very wet day is in store for the west and south.
 
A slow moving frontal system will track north across the Mainland on Sunday. That will combine with plenty of moisture coming on shore from Tasman Sea to produce a lot of rain for the western parts of both islands as well as the deep south.

WeatherWatch.co.nz Forecaster Howard Joseph says the heaviest rain is expected fall about the western South Island tomorrow.
 
Mr Joseph says “During the pre-dawn hours, the heavy rain will likely be confined south of Westland. But by sunrise, the heavy rain should spread north and affect both Westland and Nelson.”
 
There is also a possibility for heavy rain for the lower North Island early tomorrow. Mr Joseph adds that some pockets of heavy rain may show up around Wellington and the Kapiti coast. But the chances are small.
 
During the morning and into the afternoon, rain is forecast to be found about Nelson, Taranaki, Wanganui, south Waikato, the Kapiti Coast and Wellington. But the chances for heavy rain will have diminished.
 
Mr Joseph says “That means that widespread heavy rain is not as likely, but pockets of heavy rain are still possible.”
 
By evening, the rain will likely cover most of the western North Island, from Auckland south to Taranaki. The threat for heavy rain in these areas will be small.
 

-WeatherWatch.co.nz
http://www.weatherwatch.co.nz/...ed-about-west-sunday