Weather: Sunny spells in the north, but rain and thunderstorms in the south

Sunshine glory - save for some clouds - will wrap up the end of the working week for much of the North Island.

But it will be a rainy Friday for the south.

MetService says it will be "classic spring-like conditions" for New Zealand - with a high pressure to the north and a strong subtropical jet driving fast-moving fronts over the central and southern parts of the country.

Aucklanders are in for a temperature high of 19C and an overnight low of 13C.

Cloudy periods are expected in the City of Sails and southwesterly winds will die out by tonight.

The sunniest places to be are in Tauranga, which has a high of 23C, Rotorua, Wellington and Gisborne - the latter in for a welcome 26C high today.

A fine day, save for some clouds, is expected in Auckland today. Photo / Peter Meecham

Cloudy periods are, however, expected in Northland to Waitomo; as well as in the Coromandel.

The same is forecast for Taupō, Taumarunui, Taihape and Taranaki to the Kapiti Coast.

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— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) December 3, 2020

Further south, those in Nelson, Marlborough and Canterbury are in for a fine day - but there will be showers in the afternoon and possibly this evening in Canterbury.

People in Otago and Southland can also expect to see cloudy skies; while scattered showers are also due this morning.

Locals there are told that those showers may become heavier in the east by this afternoon and evening.

Heavy rain watches in the south

Sunny conditions, save for some clouds, are forecast in the North Island today. Photo / Peter Meecham

"Bursts of rain" are due from tonight through to tomorrow morning in Fiordland.

Weather authorities say those conditions would be brought in by a moist northwest flow and fronts that would affect the west coast of the South Island.

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A heavy rain watch is in force, as a result, and locals are told to stay up-to-date with weather forecast news.

Periods of heavy rain and possible thunderstorms can be expected over the next 31 hours from 4am today until 11am tomorrow in Fiordland.

WeatherWatch says between 10mm to 60mm of rain is forecast along the west coast and those rainfall totals will increase further south.

There is also the possibility of thunderstorms, locals are told.

"Rainfall amounts may approach warning criteria - especially overnight Friday and Saturday morning," MetService said.