A game of two halves for the weekend

MetService News Release
26 July 2018

A game of two halves for the weekend

MetService is forecasting showers and cloud in western parts of the country over the coming days, making eastern coasts the best spots to catch the early morning lunar eclipse on Saturday. Rugby fans should experience a fine and dry for the Hurricanes Crusaders showdown on Saturday evening.

MetService meteorologist Mark Bowe says, “For Friday, westerlies will grip the country with several embedded troughs bringing showers to western parts of both islands, but conditions will be mainly fine and dry in the east.” “We are forecasting some heavier falls about Westland and Fiordland where there is a moderate risk of thunderstorms and heavy rain for areas west of the main divide,” he adds.

This risk of thunderstorms continues north to Kapiti, Taranaki and Waikato. Snow levels lower on Friday over the lower South Island, and Road Snowfall Warnings have been issued for Lindis Pass, Crown Range Road and the Milford Road.

Early Saturday morning, the westerlies will bring cloud cover to western parts of the country with places in the east seeing some clear skies in the morning. Eastern parts of the North and South Islands, especially along the coasts may be the best spots to catch the early morning lunar eclipse. Showers continue for those on the west of the South Island, while central New Zealand, Auckland and Northland do not escape without a few showers.

Conditions across the country improve into Sunday, with the showers over western and southern parts become few and far between by nightfall.

“A front moves onto the deep south by midday, but during the evening high pressure drifts in from the west and starts clearing these showers and it pushes a southerly change into Wellington,” Bowe adds.

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