What weather is in store this weekend?

MetService News Release
17 January 2019

What weather is in store this weekend?

MetService is forecasting the warm temperatures to continue through the weekend, even with an active front moving up the South Island on Saturday, then weakening on Sunday as it continues up the North Island. This front is preceded by strong northwesterly winds reaching gale in some places, followed by a strong southwest wind flow and bringing heavy rain to western areas of the South Island.

The North Island sees mainly fine conditions on Friday and Saturday, after the clearance of morning cloud but there are some isolated showers for western areas. Northwest gales developing in Wairarapa and Wellington on Saturday ahead of the front, lasting through Sunday and into Wellington Anniversary on Monday.

Meteorologist Andy Best comments, “We can expect warm, dry conditions in the east of the North Island on Saturday, with temperatures rising to the high twenties or early thirties.”

Looking to the South Island, any light rain in the east gradually clears on Friday leaving isolated showers elsewhere. An approaching front on Saturday brings rain, with heavy falls in the west but scattered rain and northwest gales in the south, and for the Canterbury High Country, just high cloud elsewhere.

Best continues, “Expect another warm day in the east of the South Island on Saturday, thanks to the effect of the Foehn wind, with some areas seeing temperatures into the thirties.”

There is an improvement during Sunday, with showers in the west and the south of the island while becoming fine elsewhere. Monday sees a trough moving northeast over the island, bringing showers in the west and the south otherwise fine weather.

There is a high confidence rainfall accumulation will reach warning criteria about Fiordland and Westland south of Otira, especially about the ranges, with significant spillover into the headwaters of the Otago and Canterbury lakes and rivers also likely. A heavy rain watch for Fiordland has been issued today by the MetService Severe Weather forecasters for this event.

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