Springing out of Winter with a Sunny Weekend

29 August 2019

MetService is forecasting fine weather for this weekend, which also sees the seasons tick over from Winter to Spring. Sunny days, frosty nights and westerly winds are the classic harbingers of Spring, and New Zealand will receive good measures of each until early next week.

Saturday, the last day of Winter, sees southwesterly winds over the country ease as a ridge of high pressure settles over the country, although a lingering front will affect Northland for much of the day. Clear skies elsewhere will mean plenty of sun; but cold, frosty nights inland.

Sunday doubles up as Father’s Day, and fine weather continues for much of New Zealand. In the evening winds gradually turn northwest and bring some evening cloud to the western North Island, but overall it will be a good day to get outside. Southland proves the exception as strong westerly winds bring a few showers through the weekend, although in-between there will still be plenty of blue sky.

However, in the middle of next week Spring throws a seasonal spanner in the works as a subtropical low sinks down over the upper North Island, bringing the potential for heavy rain and strong easterly winds.

MetService meteorologist Tom Adams explains: “The high pressure that brings the fine weather sticks around on Monday. However tell-tale cloud and moisture coming down from the north is indicative of worse weather setting in for the middle and end of next week. Models are still showing variation in the impacts of the low, but it will be worth paying close attention to the forecasts as it brings the potential for heavy rain for the upper North Island.”

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