The west winds blows

The west winds blows

It will be largely dry across the North Island and eastern South Island this week as westerly winds dominate the weather. However, the west or northwesterlies could rise to severe gales at times this week across central and southern New Zealand.

"We're right into it now with a Severe Weather Warning and Watch in place for severe gales extending from Southland to Gisborne," said Meteorologist Rob Kerr. The strongest wind gusts are expected to be around Southland, Otago and Canterbury until this evening with Gore already gusting 122kph. "Forecasts of 150-160kph for more exposed parts of these regions should not be dismissed," added Kerr.

Meanwhile, there is a Warning for northwesterlies gusting 120-140kph or more for Marlborough, Wellington, Wairarapa and Hawkes Bay through toMonday morning. A Watch cautioning of the potential for severe gales covers the remainder of the South Island and also Whanganui, Taihape and Gisborne.

Unfortunately, the end of the Warning and Watch does not bring significant respite, as strong or gale west or northwesterlies are set to affect southern and central parts for much of the week. Rain is forecast for the West Coast, but dry eastern areas could see some scorching temperatures this week. "Daytime highs around the mid-20s will be a common occurrence and Napier could hit 29 degrees on Thursday," commented Kerr.

Keep up to date with the latest forecasts and any watches/warnings atmetservice.com or on mobile devices at m.metservice.com. You can also follow our updates on MetService TV, at MetService New Zealand on Facebook, @metservice on Twitter and at blog.metservice.com

ENDS

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