Windy weekend as westerlies blow through

Today is a windy day across much of the country with gales and severe gales in some exposed areas. As we go into Friday those peak winds ease back a bit as cooler air moves in for a time. Saturday sees the next surge of windy westerlies with risk of severe gales in exposed places.

While much of NZ looks windy, the windiest weather looks to be over the South Island and lower half of the North Island.

Rain will be most frequent in the west and south-west of both main islands.

We have your forecast through until Tuesday.

*AUSTRALIAN VIEWERS: Please note our usual Thursday Australia-only update has been this week shifted to tomorrow/Friday.

[stuartgilbert]

Awesome Stuff. Thanks for another Great Video Phil.

[mariehansen]

Thank you for your update and for all the hardwork. Enjoy your day and hold on to something.

[kroadie]

Delighted for the updates. Have a great afternoon.

[mackakiwinz]

Thanks for the mention of potential dusting on Mt Ruapehu Phil we live in hope 🤙

[jockberry]

Thanks Phil great update can see that windy weather coming through lower Australia its been so windy in Melbourne over 100 K/HR

[bronwynsearle]

Hi Phil, off and on is good as we can get some work done in-between 😊🌧️💨🌞

[ralphboardman]

Love your work. Is it possible to comment on storage lake additions?

[officialWWM]

I’d like to order some sunny weather for Tasmania for the weekend please, I want to go fishing. Thank you :)

[maplessence]

In Thames we are having heavy rain now.

[iNeXxX]

I'm coming to NZ next weekend, our first stop is at Lake Tekapo in sunday and after that we are going to Mt.Cook Village, hope weather gods favor us with no rain, but isnt looking so good 😢

[paulhogan]

multiple centres in those antacrtic lows

[sausage]

Phil, can you please expand the Weather app to cover OZ?

[tonyp]

Thanks Phil. Turn off the wind please and organise a little rain, well a lot would be good actually. Great way of explaining to this dummy by the way. 👍

[subaru]

Typical spring like weather for this time of the year

[geoffmccoll]

If you have a fart in Torrington NSW 2371, how fast will it go toward New Zealand?

[howardgoold]

Phil, I need 2 fine days in a row so I can stain my decks in Katikati, can you arrange please, thanks