Head weather analyst Philip Duncan talks about the upcoming forecast around the country.

The forecast this week and weekend looks mostly dry for those celebrating Guy Fawkes. For farmers and gardeners wanting rain in the north, there is a low coming in from the Tasman Sea but it is a bit hit and miss. It will deliver isolated heavy showers perhaps on Wednesday and Thursday for some parts of the North Island and potentially the upper South Island. Temperatures this week look warm… in fact hot for some with highs pushing into the mid 20s.

This weekend is looking sunnier, calmer and drier for the most part as air pressure evens out around the nation. Sunny, warm, weather is expected to kick off the weekend in eastern parts of the South Island where light frosts are even possible. On Sunday temps drop a little across parts of the South Island and showers or rain returns to the lower West Coast. For those desperately wanting rain in the north, there isn’t much in the forecast but a low in the Tasman Sea next week may bring a little wet weather to the north and west of New Zealand.

Another burst of wind and rain is coming to New Zealand this week but unlike last week it wont be as stormy with winds mostly below damaging and rain events fairly short lived. The bulk of the rain will be again falling on the western coastline and again mostly the West Coast. Sunniest will be eastern parts of the North Island while windiest weather will again be central and eastern areas – and possibly Auckland for a time as the sou’west flow returns for the end of the working week.

A lot to cover in this weather video – gales for Wellington, Central NZ and eastern areas. Heavy rain for the West Coast. Hot winds in the north and cool winds in the south. The next few days are dominated by a large low pressure system in the Southern Ocean and will push up a strong west to south west wind flow across New Zealand – which eases late Sunday bringing, hopefully, a fairly settled Labour Day Monday. There may be some cloud in the west and even the odd isolated shower – but for the most part Monday looks to be much calmer for most places.

Rough weather and sunny weather are both in the forecast this long weekend. Generally speaking western areas of the South Island will be wet, eastern areas of both islands warm and sunny and southern areas of both islands cool and windy. Northern NZ looks to be most settled with some stunning weather for those regions in the far north and north east – but even this big low in the Southern Ocean will bring a few showers and brisk westerlies to northern areas.

We take a look at the week ahead - and while it's calm to start with in the north, the windier weather comes back this week. It will rise up the South Island on Thursday then the North Island on Friday. We take a look at the forecast for the start of Labour Weekend too - and in true tradition the weekend has a mix of sunny, dry, weather and windy, wet weather. It's a typical spring forecast!

The first large high in several weeks will cross New Zealand this weekend bringing mostly dry and mostly calm conditions. While a front and strong winds move up the South Island on Friday the high will basically ‘kill off’ the wind and rain – leaving cloudy areas and a few isolated showers on Saturday but certainly a huge improvement from recent weather. Most places have a calm, dry and warm weekend on the way.

Severe gales are again blasting parts of New Zealand but there is some positive news if you’re tired of the wind – a large high looks set to calm things down later this week in the north, then into many other areas this weekend. While gales are likely to return to Wellington later this week they should be well down on the hurricane force winds recorded on Monday in the capital. The South Island will be more exposed to windy weather this week – but mostly sunny and warm if you live in the east.

A cool change is moving up the country over the next couple of days bringing some snow above 500m in the south but certainly nothing significant. The change isn’t looking quite as cold as it did a few days ago but the latest models show temperatures will tumble nationwide, especially in the South Island, until Thursday. Across Friday winds build over the South Island then into the North Island on Saturday – this will mark what we predicted last month, two weeks of windy weather for the second and third weeks of October.

Quite a bit of cloud will affect various regions across the country this weekend – but the general trend is for dry, calm weather for most regions. Brisk winds will continue though some central areas but the windier weather arrives later next week. In fact kicking off around next Thursday is a windy spell which could last until Labour Weekend. Finally, if you’ve been enjoying the warm weather in the east of both islands later, be prepared for a brief cold snap early next week – Mon and Tues sees a southerly blowing up the southern and eastern coastlines of New Zealand from Antarctica – it’s short lived though, warmer weather returns by Wednesday.

Head weather analyst Philip Duncan has your latest weather forecast.

Gusty to gale force winds will again push through central parts of NZ on Saturday, mostly Wellington and Wairarapa. It means it will be warm in the east of both islands but Sunday sees a cooler change move in to much of the South Island. Generally speaking the weekend isn’t looking too rough this weekend, it’s a typical spring-like weekend!

Philip Duncan covers the track of last night’s storm, where it’s placed now and what New Zealand can expect over today, the coming weekend and for the start of October next week. For today the low has stalled just west of Auckland and tonight will drift back across the North Island bringing strong westerlies to Northland and Auckland. Most other places should see winds easing as the centre of the low starts to weaken significantly across Thursday. A west to south west flow will stay with the country until Monday.

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A very windy week is on the way next week for the nation as a storm near Antarctica pushes against a large high north of New Zealand. The result will be gale for westerlies which may reaching damaging strengths around Tuesday in the South Island and Wednesday in the North Island. This weekend sees a combination of sun and warmth along with winds and showers.

The brief and predicted cold snap is moving up NZ today and on Thursday will start to ease. By Friday a strengthening westerly flow will develop – turning into storm by Tuesday or Wednesday with severe gales possible in central and eastern areas. The westerly flow will likely last for 8 days and is the first full scale westerly flow of the season.

Spring is here and the weather couldn’t be more spring-like if it tried! Stunning, sunny and warm weather for some people today – but wintry showers with snow and hail possible Wednesday and Thursday before a windy and mild weekend arrives. Welcome to Spring 2013.

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NZ Herald reader Martin witnessed 3 bright red lights in the sky (Aug7) just after 7.00 p.m. They seemed to drift along before moving away and "I could see them getting fainter until they disappeared. This lasted for about 2 to 3 minutes". It was a still night and they did not make a sound. Martin took a short clip on his phone which he sent to nzherald.co.nz. They appear white in this clip.