A week of even windier weather has already begun for some areas across the country and later today it will ramp up across the upper North Island especially.

FRIDAY
Winds across Friday PM will build and tonight gales, potentially with isolated pockets of damaging gusts, will affect regions most exposed to north to north west winds.
Winds tonight will spread to most North Island areas..
However while the windy weather moves into the North Island today, the South Island returns - briefly - to calm.

SATURDAY
Saturday looks blustery over much of the North Island, especially northern and eastern areas along with the South Island's West Coast and inland parts of the Southern Alps. Gales are again expected in Auckland.

SUNDAY
Sunday sees winds easing for most North Island areas - some might have a wind blowing all day but generally speaking conditions do ease for most North Island places on Sunday.

But in the Deep South strong to gale force winds will start to build - then about the Southern Alps may reach hurricane force later in the day - and this may spread east.  One to watch.

MONDAY - Stormiest day
While gale force winds will pop up within the next 24 hours in some areas it's Monday that we believe a spring storm will move in with damaging winds quite possible.  Both WeatherWatch.co.nz and government forecaster MetService have confidence of severe gales about the South Island and central New Zealand on Monday.

Maps below for our golfers

What golfers hate, sailors love. I'm off to have a bit of fun