Wet in the west and windy in the east

Wet in the west and windy in the east

A front will move over the South Island on Tuesday and reach the North Island on Wednesday, bringing heavy rain to western areas and blustery winds further east. "The main ranges of both islands will have a huge influence on this weather system," said MetService Meteorologist Stephen Glassey. "They will block most of the heavy rain from getting to the east and they will also cause the winds to be gustier, and potentially damaging, in the east."

A northwest flow strengthens over the South Island today ahead of the approaching front. The winds strengthen even further on Tuesday and severe gales are likely in eastern parts of the South Island and the lower North Island. "Wellington is going to get very windy, even by Wellington's standards, from Tuesday night through to Wednesday afternoon," warned Glassey.

The heaviest rain arrives in the west of the South Island on Tuesday, and in the west of the North Island late on Wednesday. "Some eastern areas may also see some rain at times, but nowhere near as much as the west," said Glassey.

The northwest flow will also bring relatively warm temperatures to the east of both islands on Tuesday. "Temperatures are likely to reach the high teens and possibly even the twenties in some eastern places," commented Glassey.

The front moves away to the east on Thursday, leaving in its wake a colder southwest flow with showers. "It looks cold and showery for Thursdayevening's FIFA Under 20 World Cup knock-out match between New Zealand and Portugal in Hamilton," Glassey said.

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ENDS

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