Record breaking rain for Gisborne, a tropical cyclone near Vanuatu and a cold front lined up to cool things down around Aotearoa this weekend.

After a run of particularly wet weather for the Tairāwhiti / Gisborne region, one location has beaten its record for the highest January rainfall since 1937.

MetService meteorologist Alwyn Bakker notes, “Gisborne Airport has recorded 241.3 mm of rain since the start of January, surpassing its previous record of 232.8mm in January 1961.”

“A substantial amount of this rain fell on Tuesday 10th, when Cyclone Hale was in the vicinity. 95.1 mm of rainfall was recorded that day at Gisborne Airport, which didn’t quite beat the station’s record for the wettest January day. That record was set on Jan 16th 1961, when the station saw 115.8 mm.

There’s a little more rain on the cards today for Gisborne, but fine weather for Friday.

Further south, a series of fronts are about to make their way up Te Waipounamu / South Island overnight Thursday into Friday, bringing rain and cooler temperatures. The fronts will weaken away as they reach Te-Ika-a-Māui / North Island on Saturday.

There’s good news on the horizon, however. A ridge of high pressure is set to build over Aotearoa / New Zealand after the fronts, which should keep any further significant rainmakers away as we head into next week.

Up in the tropics, Tropical Cyclone Irene has been named by the Nadi Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in Fiji. TC Irene is a Category 2 tropical cyclone positioned just south of Vanuatu.

“TC Irene is forecast to remain north of Aotearoa and is currently not expected to have any impact on the country,” Bakker states.

“MetService will continue to monitor TC Irene, as well as the general situation over the South West Pacific.”

To get the latest information from Nadi TCWC about TC Irene, go to www.met.gov.fj, and for MetService’s Tropical Cyclone Bulletin, head over to bit.ly/TropicalCycloneActivity.

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