Covering period of Monday 28th April - Thursday 1st May

Key points

A busy stretch of weather is on the way, with many areas set to face a range of notable conditions throughout the week
• After an already wet month, Northland will see pockets of heavier rain on Tuesday, while Canterbury will see heavy rain from mid-week
• Unseasonal snow is expected for inland Canterbury on Wednesday and Thursday
• Wild winds are expected for eastern and central parts of the country from Wednesday, with disruptive southerlies expected to surge through Wellington

“Everyone is going to get a bit of something this week – there will be some sun, lots of rain and strong winds, and even some snow coming our way, as a low pressure system passes right over central Aotearoa New Zealand,” says MetService meteorologist Dom Barry.

Come tomorrow (Tuesday), Northland, Auckland and Coromandel can expect wet and windy conditions, with heavy rain and thunderstorms expected for the northern most regions. The West Coast will also see some heavy falls, while remaining areas of both Islands have some cloud about, with the showers in the east.

Heavy rain will be hauled across much of the country heading into Wednesday by a low pressure system which tracks across the central North Island. Some of that rain will fall as snow above 600 metres in the South Island.

Thunderstorms are expected for parts of Northland through to Thursday, which may bring periods of more intense rainfall to localised areas. Barry adds that, “For already sodden areas, particularly in the Far North, more heavy rain may bring impacts such as flash flooding, rivers to rise dangerously high and hazardous driving conditions. It is imperative people stay up to date with the latest forecasts, and listen for any advice from local Civil Defence agencies.”

A Heavy Rain Watch has been issued for Northland with a high likelihood of being upgraded to a Warning, while the heavy rain and snow in the South Island has triggered a Heavy Rain Watch for Canterbury. As we get closer to this event, more severe weather Watches and Warnings are expected to be issued, including road snow warnings, strong wind warnings and some more rain watches and warnings.

On Wednesday night and into Thursday, the low lingers east of Wairarapa, driving very strong and disruptive southerlies up Cook Strait and possibly into Wellington – these winds will be very strong, even for Wellingtonians’ standards. Couple this with a very high tide (king tide), low pressure and heavy swell, we could see coastal inundation in the south. “These very strong winds will be disruptive for travel in the Wellington and Marlborough regions on Wednesday evening and into Thursday. It won’t be a day to cycle to work – work from home or take the bus,” says Barry. Strong winds will also affect Canterbury into Thursday, while strong winds will be felt west of the Main Divide at times.

Choppy seas up the east coasts of both Islands and possibly into Wellington can be expected from Wednesday, with possibly up to 7 metres of combined waves off the east coast of the North Island.

Temperatures remain warmer than average overnight for many places though to Wednesday, before things cool off come Thursday. The minimum temperatures for places like Masterton, New Plymouth, Wellington and Wanaka become their maximum temperatures from Thursday – a noticeable difference.

It is quite a wild weather week ahead – stay up to date with your Freshest Forecast on the MetService app or at our website www.metservice.com

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