Weather: Monster 4000km-wide anticyclone heading towards New Zealand

A monster anticyclone over 4000km-wide is heading towards New Zealand - and it's going to leave us "windy, wet and cold".

The enormous high is moving over Australia in the coming days, bringing clear skies and light winds.

"Australia is 4000 kilometres across from west to east. This high fills in all of Australia. It keeps that storm offshore and most of the rain clouds as well," says Weather Watch forecaster Philip Duncan.

But after this it starts moving towards us by the start of next week. Weather Watch says that while it briefly brings some nice weather, it's likely to encourage more windy, wetter, colder sou'westers later on.

"As this high moves closer to New Zealand by the start of next week it will become less tall (from north to south) but still wide though (from west to east). This means it's not as protective when it reaches the New Zealand area," Weather Watch says.

"It will also likely be pushed north of New Zealand as next week goes on, allowing windier, wetter, weather to move in to the west... once again."

Duncan says we can expect the "windy, wet and cold" weather to hit on Thursday next week.

Newshub.