Unsettled for the first half of the week

Monday 11 December 2017

Unsettled for the first half of the week

MetService Meteorologist Andy Best confirmed that as of this morning, “46 consecutive dry days have now been recorded at Christchurch Airport, beating the previous record of 45 days which was held since October/November 1954”. He went on to say, “Christchurch and the Canterbury region will see respite from the dry weather during Tuesday and Wednesday, as welcome rain is expected to move over much of the South Island. The rain is associated with a front moving north which is also bringing cooler temperatures in its wake.”

With Christchurch temperatures having reached 31 to 33 degrees over last weekend forecast temperatures between 18 and 20 degrees during Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, will feel significantly cooler.

Looking ahead, unsettled conditions are expected for the first half of the week, as a cold front moving north up the South Island is followed by cooler southerlies dropping maximum temperatures to around 20 C. These southerlies are expected to deliver a “drink” for most parts of the island, although much of Marlborough and Nelson should stay dry throughout this week. Fine weather is expected for much of the North Island, apart from isolated showers north of Auckland, and about the ranges and central North Island today and Tuesday, with showers spreading onto the south of the North Island Wednesday.

A small low pressure system is expected to develop east of the North Island during Wednesday, bringing a few showers for northern Hawkes Bay and Gisborne. This low moves away late on Thursday. A ridge is forecast to move over central New Zealand and the North Island during Thursday and Friday, with only the risk of a few showers, while a new front makes landfall onto the south of the South Island on Friday.

The image below shows the forecast total rainfall accumulation by the end of this working week.

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